Stephanie Meadow recovered from three early bogeys to post a one-over par moving day round of 72 as former world number one, Lydia Ko honed in on victory at the LPGA Tour’s Marathon Classic.
Meadow wasn’t at her brilliant best as she dropped three shots in five holes to fall to one-under par for the tournament.
The Jordanstown professional picked up a shot at the ninth around the aptly named Highland Meadows golf course and gained two more on the way home before reaching the clubhouse at a minus-three, 54-hole total.
That leaves Meadow in a tie for 33rd ahead of the final round, with Ko four clear of American Danielle Kang in second place.
The kiwi is a two-time winner at Highland Meadows and is looking to end her winless run having not tasted victory in her last 44 events worldwide, dropping her to No. 55 in the world.
Kang, who won last week at nearby Inverness Club, had a 70 and was four shots behind. Kang got within two shots of the lead with a birdie on the par-3 14th, but she bogeyed the next and picked up one birdie on the final two holes, both of them par 5s.
Ko, meanwhile, birdied the 16th and 17th and finished four ahead at 16-under par as she goes in search of an overdue ‘w’.
Minjee Lee of Australia had a 68, while Jodi Ewart Shadoff, who started the round one shot behind, struggled to a 73. They were at 10-under 203, six shots behind.
Full scoring HERE
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