In-Kyung Kim rallied to win the Marathon Classic on Sunday to become the second two-time winner this season on the LPGA Tour.

Two strokes behind 18-year-old Nelly Korda entering the round, Kim birdied six of the first nine holes and finished with an 8-under 63 for a four-stroke victory over Lexi Thompson.

“It’s golf. I really didn’t expect anything,” Kim said. “Maybe, I think, that’s why I played really well today. Really good names are on top of the leaderboard, and I just wanted to go out and make the most out of it, and today I was able to do that.”

Kim also won the ShopRite LPGA Classic in June in New Jersey. The six-time LPGA Tour winner joined fellow South Korean player So Yeon Ryu as the only multiple winners this season.

After playing the front nine in 6-under 28, the 29-year-old Kim and added birdies on Nos. 15 and 16. She finished at 21-under 263 at Highland Meadows.

In the 2010 event, she lost to Na Yeon Choi in a playoff.

“I always liked the golf course,” Kim said. “I had a playoff before and I just have great memory.”

Thompson closed with a 66.

“Overall, I’m very happy with the way I played,” Thompson said. “I was hitting a cut around the golf course, and that’s usually not what I do. But I managed to put up some good scores.”

Gerina Piller, still looking for her first LPGA Tour victory after leading after each of the first two rounds, had a 68 to tie for third at 15 under with Peiyun Chien (68).

“I didn’t come away with the win, but it doesn’t mean I didn’t have a winning performance,” Piller said. “I’m looking forward to taking the week off and heading over to the British.”

Sung Hyun Park, coming off a victory last week in the U.S. Women’s Open in New Jersey, tied for sixth at 13 under after a 70.

Korda shot a 74 to tie for eighth at 12 under.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp shot a 67 to finish the tournament 11 under and tied for 13th.

Lydia Ko, winless since her victory last year at Highland Meadows, tied for 20th at 9 under after a 69. She also won the 2014 event.

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Nelly Korda birdied the final two holes for a 5-under 66 and a two-stroke lead Saturday in the Marathon Classic.

The 18-year-old Korda, the sister of LPGA Tour winner Jessica Korda and daughter of tennis major champion Petr Korda, had a 15-under 198 total at Highland Meadows. She opened with a 68 and had a 64 on Friday, the best score in the second round.

“There’s still 18 more holes and a lot of golf left to be played, so I’m just going to stay patient and see how it goes,” Korda said. “Not really going to think about it too much. I’m not going to get ahead of myself. I’ve done that a couple times this year, and I’m just going to take it shot by shot.”

Korda closed with three straight birdies Friday, and also birdied the par-5 18th on Thursday in a round that ended with a birdie on No. 9.

“When you end on a birdie, you’re just really excited to play the next day and get it doing, so I’m definitely excited,” Korda said.

In-Kyung Kim was second after a 68.

“I’ve been very consistent with my drive and second shot,” Kim said. “It is kind of tricky to hit hybrids into the greens and all of a sudden hitting wedge into the greens. That change was difficult. But other than that, I feel really good about playing this golf course. I’ve always liked this golf course.”

Gerina Piller, the leader after each of the first two rounds, had a 70 to drop into a tie for third at 12 under with U.S. Women’s Open champion Sung Hyun Park (67), Lexi Thompson (69), Sandra Changkija (65), Aditi Ashok (68) and Peiyun Chien (69).

“I’m not hitting the ball flight I would like,” Thompson said. “I’m actually hitting a little cut out there, but it’s just getting me around. I hit it very solid the last few days, so a lot of positives to take from it.”

Piller rallied with birdies on Nos. 15 and 17.

“There’s no need to fix something that ain’t broke,” Piller said. “The putts just didn’t fall for me today, but my game feels great. Got it back to under par, which was huge, after being 1 over at the turn. Just looking forward to tomorrow, having some fun, and making some birdies.”

Lydia Ko (65), winless since her victory last year at Highland Meadows, was tied for 19th at 7 under with Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (68). Ko also won the 2014 event.

Korda is in her first year on the tour.

“There’s so many good young players out here on tour that I don’t even feel like I’m 18, truthfully,” said Korda, who will be 19 on Friday. “But it’s really cool and I’m definitely excited for tomorrow.

“I’ve learned a lot my rookie year out here. It’s definitely to stay patient and really to take it shot by shot. I’ve been in a couple positions where I’ve been on top of the leaderboard, and I just really got ahead of myself, started thinking too far ahead.”

She expected some simple long-distance advice from her sister.

“She’ll probably just be like, ‘Breathe a lot and go to sleep,”’ Korda said.

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Gerina Piller followed her opening 8-under 63 with a 68 on Friday to maintain a one-stroke in the Marathon Classic.

Piller had four birdies and a bogey at Highland Meadows in the second round to reach 11-under 131.

“Very satisfied,” Piller said. “I feel like I was pretty steady. I kind of had a par streak going there. But I gave myself chances for birdie, and at that point, you’ve just got to be patient, and there’s some birdie holes out there. I stayed patient, not one on my front nine and then reeled off three in a row on the back. It is difficult, but if you can just kind of plug along and hit fairways and greens and keep it simple.”

She’s winless on the LPGA Tour.

“Well, it’s only Friday, so I wouldn’t put the cart before the horse, but to get that first win I think would be really special, no matter where it is,” Piller said. “I’m just going to try to focus on the process, and the result will take care of itself.”

"I don't think I've ever held the lead after the 1st round." @Gerinapiller is the current leader after round 2 of the @MarathonLPGA pic.twitter.com/iWS717CQt7

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 21, 2017

U.S. Solheim Cup teammate Lexi Thompson had a 65 to move into a tie for second with fellow American Nelly Korda (64), South Korea’s In-Kyung Kim (67) and Taiwan’s Peiyun Chien (68).

“I’m actually hitting a little baby cut around the golf course,” Thompson said. “I never thought I would say those words. But I’m just sticking to it, and I hit some great iron shots, which helped.”

Korda played the back nine in 6 under, birdieing the first three holes and the last three.

“I’ve been on top of the leaderboard a couple of times this year and I’ve just learned to stay patient and just take it shot by shot,” Korda said.

"I don't think I've ever held the lead after the 1st round." @Gerinapiller is the current leader after round 2 of the @MarathonLPGA pic.twitter.com/iWS717CQt7

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 21, 2017

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., missed her second cut of the season, shooting 70-75. Augusta James of Bath, Ont., Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., Charlottetown’s Lorie Kane and Calgary’s Jennifer Ha also missed the cut. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp is the lone Canadian left in the field at 4 under after a second straight round of 69.

India’s Aditi Ashok was 9 under after a 68. Sung Hyun Park, the U.S. Women’s Open winner Trump National in New Jersey, had a 70 to join fellow South Korean player Chella Choi (67) and Americans Brittany Lincicome (67) and Laura Diaz (67) at 8 under.

Stacy Lewis, her U.S. Women’s Open chances ruined by a third-round meltdown, was 2 under after a 71. She’s looking ahead to the next two weeks at the Ladies Scottish Open and Women’s British Open.

“I’m just going to try to play better,” Lewis said. “I’m not going to be looking at a leaderboard. At this point, it’s now try to play better and get ready for links golf next week and just controlling ball flight and controlling spin. That’s what I’ll kind of work on this weekend.”

Lydia Ko, winless since her victory last year at Highland Meadows, had a 68 to reach 1 under. She also won the 2014 event.

“I feel like I’m hitting it OK and I’m putting it fine, but those things kind of need to come together,” Ko said. “At the end of the day, I know I need to be patient, and sometimes it’s just not going to go your way even though you try your best. At the end, all I’ve got to do is just try my best, and after that it’s really out of my hands.”

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Gerina Piller shot an 8-under 63 on Thursday in the Marathon Classic to take a one-stroke lead over U.S. Women’s Open champion Sung Hyun Park and Peiyun Chien.

Winless on the LPGA Tour, Piller had nine birdies and a bogey in the first round at Highland Meadows. The American birdied the first three holes and four of the first five.

“Got off to a good start and got the putts rolling,” Piller said. “To be honest, my ball-striking didn’t feel as great coming into this weekend, and the week after a major it’s always tough just because you’re so exhausted mentally. I just went out there and really trusted what I had and just brought it together. My game feels really good right now.”

Park, the South Korean player who won her first major title last week at Trump National in New Jersey, had seven birdies in a bogey-free round.

“My feeling today was so awesome,” Park said. “It was a good start after the major championship, winning. First of all, I need to focus more on the Marathon Classic and want to keep my happiness behind from now on.”

Chien, a LPGA Tour rookie from Taiwan, had eight birdies and a bogey.

“The golf course is narrow,” Chien said. “It’s very tough first shot because you need to play a cut or little draw a lot, not just hit it straight. … I changed my playing because I’m always thinking the swing on the golf course, so today I just played freely, tried to find some feeling and play.”

Kelly Shon, Aditi Ashok and In-Kyung Kim shot 65, Angel Yin and Sandra Changkija followed at 66, and U.S. Solheim Cup players Lexi Thompson, Brittany Lincicome and Alison Lee topped the group at 67.

Stacy Lewis, her U.S. Women’s Open chances ruined by a third-round meltdown, had a 69.

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Lydia Ko, winless since her victory last year at Highland Meadows, had a 73. She had three bogeys and one birdie.

“When you’re not hitting the ball fantastic, it’s not going to be the greatest score,” Ko said. “But there’s always tomorrow. Hopefully, I’ll be able to get a few things better for tomorrow’s round.”

Piller is trying to not get too far ahead of herself.

“Tomorrow is a different day, and I’ll just kind of do the same thing as I did today, go out there and take one shot at a time, as cliche as it sounds,” Piller said. “But you’re not going to win it on Thursday, Friday or Saturday, so it’s going to take all four rounds.”

Sung Hyun Park won the U.S. Women’s Open on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour victory.

The 23-year-old from South Korea shot her second straight 5-under 67 and won a final-round battle with front-running Shanshan Feng and teenage amateur Hye-Jin Choi at Trump National Golf Club.

Park birdied the 15th to move into a tie for the lead and the 17th to open a two-shot edge after Choi made a double bogey on the previous hole. Park finished at 11-under 277 for a two-stroke win over Choi.

President Donald Trump attended the biggest event in women’s golf for the third straight day. There was a peaceful protest after he arrived at his box near the 15th green shortly after 3 p.m.

It ended up being a quiet week of politics. The golf was excellent.

Hoisting the ?! Sung Hyun Park #USWomensOpen pic.twitter.com/JdWPz3Kd05

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 16, 2017

Park needed a fine chip from over the green on the par-5 18th hole to save par and win the $900,000 top prize from the $5 million event.

Walking to the scoring tent to sign her card, she got a thumps-up from Trump from his box.

Choi finished with a 71 to finish as the low amateur for the second straight year. She was 38th in 2016.

Top-ranked So Yeon Ryu (70) and fellow South Korean Mi Jung Hur (68) tied for third at 7 under. Feng, from China, had a 75 to drop into a tie for fifth at 6 under with Spain’s Carlota Ciganda (70) and South Korea’s Jeongeun6 Lee (71).

South Koreans Sei Young Kim (69), Mirim Lee (72) and Amy Yang (75) tied for eighth at 5 under. Marina Alex of nearby Wayne, New Jersey, was the best of the American at 4 under after a 70. It was the worst finish in the Open for the top American since Paula Creamer was seventh in 2012.

Brooke Henderson (71) of Smiths Falls, Ont., tied for 13th at 3 under.

Choi was the story for most of the final round. The 17-year-old had a two-shot lead with nine holes to play and needed a birdie at 15 to regain a piece with Park.

Translation: Congratulations Sung Hyun Park! #USWomensOpen pic.twitter.com/O56pSnJbac

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 16, 2017

The 139-yard, par-3 16th over water ended her hopes. Her tee shot landed in the water to the right of the hole. She ended with a double bogey and basically lost her chance of becoming the second amateur to win the Open. She birdied the final hole.

Catherine Lacoste remains the only amateur to win the Open, doing it in 1967.

Feng, who was the leader after the first three rounds and carried a one-shot edge into the final 18 holes, triple bogeyed the final hole.

The win was redemption for Park, who is the leading rookie on the LPGA Tour this year. She had the 36-hole lead in the Open last year and shot final rounds of 74-74 to finish two shots out of a playoff with eventual champion Brittany Lang and Anna Nordqvist.

Park saved her best for the last two rounds this year and won. It was not her first professional win, she won seven times on the KLPGA Tour in 2016 and three times the year before.

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Shanshan Feng is going to have the president of the United States looking over her shoulder in the final round of the U.S. Women’s Open, and probably a lot of South Korean fans, too.

The 27-year-old from China rolled in a short birdie putt on the final hole Saturday to take a one-shot lead after three rounds of the biggest tournament in women’s golf.

Teenager Hye-Jin Choi and perennial Open bridesmaid Amy Yang were tied for second in an event where the South Koreans have shined.

The top six players chasing Feng are all from South Korea, and you have to go all the way to eighth place to find a U.S. player. That’s Cristie Kerr, who was five shots off the lead.

It should make for an interesting final day in a tournament that had an even bigger stage with Trump in attendance. He’s the first sitting president to attend a U.S. Women’s Open.

Feng shot a 1-under 71 to reach 9-under 207 at the president’s Trump National Golf Club.

“Coming to this week, I didn’t have any expectation at all,” said Feng, who has lead from the start after shooting a 66 in her quest for a second major. “I just _ I wanted to bring out my ‘A’ game. And then I think I did really well for the first three days, and then I’m going to stick to my game plan. I just focus on my own game and let’s see what happens.”

Choi and Yang each shot 70.

Sung Hyun Park, the top rookie on the LPGA Tour, was 6 under after a 67. Top-ranked So Yeon Ryu (71), Mirim Lee (67) and Jeongeun6 Lee (73) were 5 under.

Kerr, a former Open winner and a member at this course, was tied at 4 under with Spain’s Carlota Ciganda (72).

Feng had a one-shot lead after the first round and a two-shot margin at the halfway point, but she just could not hit it close in the third round. She had a couple of 10- to 15-footers for birdie on the back nine that never threatened the hole and she did not convert until hitting her third on the par-5 18th to about 5 feet.

Choi, the 17-year-old who is the world’s No.2 ranked amateur, might have been the most consistent player after bogeying her first hole. She birdied Nos. 8, 11 and 16 and just missed another on the final hole.

“I didn’t have the greatest start but I think if I just stay focused and play the game as maybe not necessarily play safe but maybe more aggressively I think I’m going to be OK,” Choi said through an interpreter.

Yang, who has four top-five finishes in the last five years including seconds in 2012 and ’15, had a roller-coaster round. She had five 5s, a bogey and a double bogey, which came on No. 3 after a bad shot out of a bunker.

Park played the back nine in 6 under. She led after 36 holes in this event last year and finished third, two shots out of a playoff.

“Yes, quite a few Korean players on the top leaderboard,” said Park, who said the course is similar to some in South Korea. “I think most of them, if not all, have strong capability to play really well.”

Playing with Feng, Jeongeun6 Lee had a crazy round that started with three straight bogeys. She added four birdies and two more bogeys in her final 15.

Ryu, the only two-time winner this year on the LPGA Tour, had three birdies after two early bogeys.

Mirim Lee had six birdies in the last 11 holes to get into contention.

Kerr had three birdies and bogey in the first six holes and then parred out the rest of the way.

“I feel pretty good,” Kerr said. “I’m going out there doing my thing and I’m trying to be in a good mental space where I’m not putting pressure on myself.”

With the arrival of the president Friday afternoon, security was stepped up Saturday. Dogs sniffed cars driven by players entering the course and fans and media had to walk through airport-type security checkpoints.

Outside the course, a small procession of cars and trucks circled the course and bore signs criticizing Trump and supporting women’s rights.

Trump spent the night in his house on the course and took the short drive from his residence to his box overlooking the 15th green, arriving around 2:35 p.m. Walking up the stairs, he yelled to the crowd asking them about the players’ scores.

Brooke Henderson of Canada was at 2 under, along with Christina Kim, who shot a 68 playing in the first group, and moved into a tie for 12th place.

Stacy Lewis, the former No.1 ranked women who has not won since 2014, played her first 10 holes in 5 under and moved within a shot of the lead heading to No. 11. However, she flubbed a couple of chips near the green and took a triple bogey. Her day ended miserable with a 10 on 18, leaving her at 2 over.

Defending champion Brittany Lang saw any chance of repeating end with an 8-over 80.

Shanshan Feng opened a two-shot lead Friday after two rounds of a U.S. Women’s Open that got its first visit from a sitting president.

Fresh from a Bastille Day celebration in Paris, President Donald Trump pulled into his Trump National Golf Club around 3:40 p.m., visited his president’s box next to the 14th green less than two hours later and played to the crowd, waving at the fans, giving them the thumbs up and pumping his fist.

That’s what a president can do for crowds not used to being within a 100 yards of one. Many critics of the president had hoped he would stay away from the $5 million tournament because of his comments about women and the fear that he would steal the spotlight.

Only three sitting presidents have attended USGA events with Warren G. Harding (1921) and Bill Clinton (1997) going to the U.S. Open.

Feng was the star on the course for the second straight day. The 27-year-old Chinese player shot a 2-under 70 and had a 36-hole total of 8-under 136 on the 6,732-yard course that played even longer because of rain over the past two days.

“My putting is really working. I’ve had two good rounds and I just hope to keep doing the same thing” – Shanshan Feng at #uswomensopen pic.twitter.com/Gc27b86Boi

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 14, 2017

Amy Yang of South Korea continued her good play in the Women’s Open and remained in second place, although her deficit grew to two shots after a 71. Yang has four top-five finishes in this event in the past five years.

Jeongeung Lee, who has had a win and 10 top-10 finishes on the KLPGA Tour, shared second after posting a second straight 69.

Lee uses the “6” after her first name because there are six other South Korean players with the same name.

Hye-Jin Choice, a 17-year-old from South Korea who is the world’s second-ranked amateur, also was at 6-under after a second straight 69. She was tied with Feng at 8 under after 15 holes, but bogeyed two of her next three holes to fall back.

Seon Woo Bae, a winner in South Korea last year, was alone in fifth place at 5 under after a 69.

Top-ranked So Yeon Ryu (72) and 2015 winner In Gee Chun (70) topped the group at 4 under, while Marina Alex (70) of Wayne, New Jersey was the top American at 3 under. Lydia Ko (73) and Smiths Falls, Ont., native Brooke Henderson (71) also were 3 under.

"I'm a few shots back. Hopefully I can make that up the next 2 days & put myself in contention on Sunday” — Brooke Henderson #uswomensopen pic.twitter.com/7VCYHZGntg

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 14, 2017

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp and Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., did not make the cut.

Earlier in the day, 2014 winner Michelle Wie withdrew because of a neck injury. She shot a 73 on Thursday and stopped on her second hole the next day.

Among those missing the cut at 2 over were Brittany Lincicome, who said two weeks ago that Trump should not attend the tournament so the focus would be on the golfers, and Danielle Kang, who two weeks ago won the KPMG Women’s PGA. Second-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn and two-time Open champion Inbee Park also missed the cut.

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Shanshan Feng had her best round in the U.S. Women’s Open, and the first-round lead.

Afternoon rain and lightning forced officials to suspend play for more than two hours Thursday in the biggest event in women’s golf, and play was stopped because of darkness with 39 players still on the course. They will return early Friday to complete the round at Trump National Golf Course.

The weather was the only hitch for the players and the USGA, which took a lot of criticism for failing to move the $5 million event to another course after comments by President Donald Trump about women.

Despite fears of protests, Day 1 was uneventful.

There were no demonstrators. The golf was excellent and Feng was outstanding, shooting a 6-under 66 in a tournament in which she has rarely played well in her 10 seasons as a professional in the United States. It marked the first time the 27-year-old from China broke 70 in 42 Open rounds.

Amy Yang of South Korea, who has had two seconds, a third and a fourth in this event in the last five years, was a shot behind.

"I felt so comfortable out there" @shanshanfengCHN after carding a 6-under 66 at the #USWomensOpen pic.twitter.com/FpDh2D240D

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 13, 2017

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is the top Canadian with a 2-under 70. Amateur Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., is even while Hamilton’s Alena Sharp opened with a 4-over 76.

Lydia Ko of New Zealand played in the same threesome with Feng and was tied for third at 68 with top-ranked So Yeon Ryu of South Korea.

Carlota Ciganda also was 4 under with a hole left. She would have to eagle the par-5 18th to get a share of the lead.

Former Open winner Cristie Kerr, who played with back spasms, and Megan Khang were the best U.S. finishers at 69.

Feng, who has never finished better than fourth in the Open (2012), started her round on the 10th hole and played the back side in 5 under, rolling in five birdies. She added another at No. 1 and then parred her last eight holes.

“I started the round very great,” said Feng, who lipped out on two birdie putts on her final nine. “I mean I had three birdies in the first four holes and then after that I mean I just felt so comfortable about everything.”

Feng had to push it to get to Trump National. She played in a tournament in China that was run by her sponsor last week and her flight to Beijing was delayed. She did not arrive in New Jersey until around noon Monday, and did more sleeping than playing over the next three days.

Everything worked out Thursday.

“I just had a great day so hopefully the next three days that I can perform well also and let’s see what happens,” said Feng, who has a win and three other top-10 finishes this season.

Feng was the hottest player on the tour at the end of last year, winning her last two starts and finishing eighth or better in her final seven events. She won the major LPGA Championship in 2012 for the first of her seven LPGA Tour titles.

Yang had six birdies and a bogey in her round. She took advantage of the back nine, playing it in 4 under.

The 27-year-old who now calls Orlando, Florida, home, refused to say this would be the year she won the Open.

“I’ll keep trying,” she said. “I’m playing good, you know, played good lately and I’m hitting the ball solid and making some putts, you know. I’m going to do same things, you know, next three days and see what happened.”

Ko, who had the lead going into the final round last year, was tied with Feng at 6 under after 13 holes. She bogeyed her 14th and then the last.

Ryu, the only two-time winner on the tour this year, had four birdies. Kerr had five birdies and two bogeys.

Goodnight from the #USWomensOpen pic.twitter.com/MPOFbXKHMm

— LPGA (@LPGA) July 14, 2017

In Gee Chun, who won this event two years ago, was in a group at 70, one shot ahead of No. 3 Lexi Thompson and former No. 1 Stacy Lewis.

Amateur Rachel Heck, the 15-year-old from Memphis, Tennessee, who is the youngster player in the field, also was at 3 under with five holes to play.

Defending champion Brittany Lang had a 72 in a round where the players who teed off in the morning had the better conditions.

Michelle Wie had a 73. She was bothered by neck issues in the afternoon that required treatment on the course after the delay.

Second-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn shot 79, and seventh-ranked, two-time Open champion Inbee Park had a 77.

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Katherine Kirk won the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic on Sunday, matching Ashleigh Buhai with a birdie on the final hole for a one-stroke victory.

Four strokes ahead of Buhai entering the round, Kirk made a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th for a 2-under 70. She finished at 22-under 266 in the first year event at Thornberry Creek – the Oneida Nation-owned resort near Green Bay.

“Ashleigh played great all day,” Kirk said. “I put the pressure on her. Pretty fun finish there. I knew I had to make it. She played great, so all credit to her.”

The 35-year-old Australian won her third LPGA Tour title and first in 152 starts since the 2010 Navistar LPGA Classic. She also won the 2008 Canadian Women’s Open.

“So much hard work and patience,” Kirk said. “I had a rough couple years like 2015 and 2016, and just an amazing team behind me. My husband has been 100 per cent supportive the whole time. I can’t put it into words. It’s just a great feeling.”

Kirk earned $300,000 and secured a spot next week in the U.S. Women’s Open. She had six birdies and four bogeys Sunday after opening with rounds of 68, 63 and 65.

Buhai, from South Africa, shot a 67.

“We both played great this week,” Buhai said about Kirk. “Today, 5 under, no bogeys. I had three lip-outs on the back nine, but I hit the putts and the shots that I had to just keep hitting. Finally on 18, it was just a little close, and enough to think maybe I could hole the putt, but the two shots Katherine hit on 16 and 18 to work it around trees were fantastic, so all good to her.”

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (68) was the low Canadian at 13 under. Brooke Henderson (69) of Smiths Falls, Ont., and Augusta James (68) of Bath, Ont., were at 11 under while Samantha Richdale (78) of Kelowna, B.C., fell to an even par.

South Korea’s Sei Young Kim was third at 20 under after a 63.

“I have good momentum,” Kim said. “I’m very looking forward to next week, so exciting. I can’t wait for next week.”

Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum shot a career-best 62 – also the best round of the week – to finish fourth at 19 under.

“Tee shot pretty good and also putting very good,” Phatlum said. “Like no three-putt, and then can make eight birdies and one eagle. Really fantastic.”

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Katherine Kirk shot a 7-under 65 on Saturday to open a four-stroke lead in the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic, and move into position to challenge the tour’s 72-hole record.

Coming off a career-best 63 on Friday, the 35-year-old Australian reached 20-under 196 in the first year event at Thornberry Creek _ the Oneida Nation-owned resort near Green Bay.

“I’ve been playing pretty well lately, trending at least in the right direction,” Kirk said. “I like this golf course. It suits my eye, and I think it’s going to take another low one tomorrow. You saw some really good scores out there today. It’s not over until it’s over, right?”

The LPGA Tour record for 72 holes is 27 under, set by Annika Sorenstam in the 2001 Standard Register Ping in Phoenix and matched by Sei Young Kim last year in the Founders Cup, also in Phoenix. Sorenstam shot a record 59 in the second round.

Kirk played the first five holes in 1 over with a birdie on No. 1 and bogeys on Nos. 3 and 5. She rebounded with a birdie on No. 6, ran off four straight on Nos. 8-11 and added birdies on 13, 15 and 17. On the par-4 18th, she saved par with a 15-footer after finding the right fairway bunker and hitting her approach well left.

“I know I can putt well, but I think I’m like pushing the limits right now,” Kirk said. “It’s fun…. It’s unexpected, but you certainly take them when you can.”

She won the last of her two tour titles in 2010.

South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai was second after a 65. She’s winless on the LPGA Tour.

“Obviously, Katherine is playing really well,” Buhai said. “I saw I got within one at one stage, and then I looked again, and she was back to three ahead. She obviously made a lot of birdies and I felt I made as many as I could. Tomorrow, will be fun between the two of us.”

Buhai had seven birdies in a nine-hole stretch in the middle of the round.

“I hit the ball really solid,” Buhai said. “I made a bogey on my first hole and after that I hit 17 greens in a row. I just kind of favoured to the side of the pin that you had to, and I rolled in a few 15-footers. I was cautious at some times, and then I knew when I could be aggressive. Overall, good ball-striking, and you have to roll in the putts.”

Japan’s Ayako Uehara (65) and England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff (66) were tied for third at 13 under, and Suzann Pettersen (66) was another stroke back along with Tiffany Joh (66), Cristie Kerr (67), Angel Yin (67), Megan Khang (67), Jaye Marie Green (70) and Sandra Gal (72). Gal shot a 64 in the morning in the completion of the suspended second round on the rain-softened course.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (70) was the low Canadian at 9 under. Brooke Henderson (69) of Smiths Falls, Ont., is 8 under, Augusta James (69) of Bath, Ont., is 7 under and Samantha Richdale (71) of Kelowna, B.C., is 6 under.

“I’m obviously going to tee off a little bit earlier than the leaders, obviously try and post a number,” Pettersen said. “That’s all I can do at this point. … I love the way they set it up. They invite us to make eagles, go for greens. Hopefully, they’ll do that tomorrow, as well, and everyone will keep seeing low numbers.”

Top-ranked So Yeon Ryu, No. 3 Lexi Thompson and No. 4 Lydia Ko are among those taking the week off before the U.S. Women’s Open next week at Trump International in New Jersey.

For the full leaderboard click here.