LOS ANGELES • Pernilla Lindberg had the opportunity to write her own Cinderella story in the final round of the ANA Inspiration early today (Singapore time), but Park Sung Hyun will have lingering nightmares over her shocking back-nine collapse on Saturday.
The unheralded Swede had the hot putter at the first women's golf Major of the year to grab a three-shot lead after second-round co-leader Park lost her composure after being put on the clock.
Lindberg fired a two-under 70 in the third round to reach 14-under 202 as she aims to capture her first title in eight seasons on the LPGA Tour.
"I felt calm out there. I had fun," said Lindberg, who rolled in four birdies in her round.
"I've been on Tour long enough to still be in a lot of heated moments."
She also admitted that with victory being within touching distance, things were finally falling into place for her.
"I just keep collecting experiences each and every year," she said.
"I've played a lot of golf in my life, and I just feel like the pieces are kind of falling together."
The 31-year-old, who has never held a 54-hole lead in a regular LPGA Tour event let alone a Major, birdied her first hole of the day en route to breaking the 54-hole tournament scoring record at Mission Hills golf course in Rancho Mirage, California.
The world No. 95 takes a decent lead into the final round over American Amy Olson, who shot a 68 to reach 205.
Park (two-over 74) is four strokes back at 206 in a pack of players that includes fellow South Korean Park In Bee, Thai Moriya Jutanugarn, American Jennifer Song and Britons Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Charley Hull.
Lindberg started her round tied with Park, who hung in there until officials put the pair on the clock for slow play on the back nine.
That was when everything changed for Park, who had three bogeys and a double bogey in her next five holes.
She needed multiple shots just to get out of a bunker on the par-four 15th and finished with a double-bogey six.
She had carded just two bogeys through the opening two rounds .
"It was a rough day out there today," said Park after shooting 10 strokes higher on Saturday than her second round 64.
AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS
