For most of Saturday, Lexi Thompson was disappointed with her putting.
That changed over the last four holes when her ball-striking set up a finish that earned the 54-hole lead at the ANA Inspiration.
Thompson was falling behind on the scoreboard until she finally holed a putt at the 15th then hit her approach within at foot at the 16th. She would miss a six-footer for birdie at the par three 17th but made up for it at the finishing hole.
She launched one of her booming drive then hit a sensational five-iron from 211 yards out that finished 12 feet from the hole. She holed it for eagle, shot 69 and found herself with the lead at 10-under par.
“To finish like that turns around my confidence going into Sunday,” said Thompson, who snagged her first major at Mission Hills in 2014. She’ll need that confidence because she has a gang of solid contenders chasing her. Among them is world’s No. 1, Lydia Ko, who missed for 12-feet at 18 for birdie and finished at nine-under with Ariya Jutanugarn and In Gree Chun.
England’s Charley Hull birdied the final four holes to finish at eight-under with Ai Miyazato.
Michelle Wie kept herself in contention with a 70 and she’s one of five players at seven-under par.
