Charley Hull shook things up in Naples Saturday and she is the surprise leader after three rounds at the CME Group Tour Championship.
Hull shot a six-under par 66 and the smiling Brit got to 13-under par, a shot in front of Brittany Lincicome and So Yeon Ryu.
The real battle, however, is being forged two shots behind her. Both Ariya Jutanugarn and Lydia Ko are in at 11-under par. Jutanugarn shot the day’s best round, a seven-under par 65 that got everyone’s attention and tied her with Ko, who struggled her way to a 73.
Ko and Jutanugarn are battling for the overall points championship with the winner taking a $1 million bonus payout.
“Today my putting worked pretty good,” said Jutanugarn, who put together a seven-birdie, bogey-free effort.
It will take a lot for Hull to hold on and win come Sunday. She was the 54-hole leader in the first event of the year in the Bahamas but couldn’t close it. She is looking for her first LPGA victory and this is their biggest championship money-wise.
“Just kind of keep it to the basics,” Hull said of her Sunday game plan.
