Lilia Vu seizes command of LPGA Ford Championship with brilliant finish to third round

Two-time major champion Lilia Vu made birdies on three of the final four holes, establishing a two-stroke advantage over England's Charley Hull following the third round of the LPGA Ford Championship on Saturday.

The 27-year-old American, who started the day with a two-shot lead, recorded a score of four-under par 68 amidst challenging windy conditions, bringing her total to 18-under 198 after 54 holes at Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, Arizona.

"It was pretty difficult," Vu said. "Not only that, I feel like my ball-striking hasn't been as great the past few days but today it was good."

Hull concluded her round with a birdie, finishing with a score of 68 and a total of 200, which positioned her in the final pairing alongside Vu. Meanwhile, Ayaka Furue from Japan and Denmark's Nanna Koerstz Madsen were tied for third place with scores of 201.

In a tie for fifth place at 202 were Zhang Yahui from China, South Koreans Ryu Hae-ran and Kim Hyo-joo, American Allisen Corpuz, and Thailand's world number two, Jeeno Thitikul.

Vu's double bogey at the 14th hole brought her level with Hull for the lead; however, Hull responded by birdieing the next three holes to take control of the match.

"After that, I felt like I hit a major roadblock," Vu remarked following her setback at the 14th. "I was telling my caddie that I just couldn't get the numbers right today."

"He just said to me I'm just going to get you on the green and we can try to make the putt from there and that's exactly what we were doing."

Sixth-ranked Vu, a former world number one, aims to secure her sixth LPGA title, which would be her first since winning the Meijer Classic last June. This tournament marked her return after a three-month hiatus due to a persistent back injury.

"I'm not thinking too much about it," Vu said of winning. "I'm just going to go out there and have fun."

World number 10, Hull, aims for her third LPGA victory and her first since the 2022 Volunteers of America Classic.

Throughout the day, Hull and Vu were in a tight contest for the lead, with the American consistently responding to challenges.

Vu began strong with a birdie on the par-5 second hole, followed by birdies on the fifth and par-5 seventh, interspersed with her first bogey of the week on the sixth, and concluded the front nine with another bogey.

This situation allowed Hull to capitalize, as she recovered from an initial bogey with birdies on the second, fifth, seventh, and another on the par-5 12th, bringing her score to 15-under, tying her with Vu.

In response, Vu secured a birdie on the par-4 11th and made a four-foot birdie putt on the par-5 12th, advancing to 17-under. When Hull bogeyed the 14th hole, Vu extended her lead to three strokes.

However, Hull countered with a birdie on the 16th hole, and after Vu encountered a double bogey on the 14th, the two players found themselves tied once again.

Vu quickly regained her advantage with a long birdie putt on the par-3 15th, followed by tap-in birdies on the 16th and the par-5 17th, reaching 18-under and leading by three strokes before Hull finished with a birdie.