Patty Tavatanakit overcame searing conditions to pull three shots clear heading into the final round of the Honda LPGA Thailand and close in on back-to-back victories.
Tavatanakit was reduced to tears last week as she ended her winless streak of almost three years with an emphatic seven-shot victory at the Aramco Saudi Ladies International on the Ladies European Tour.
The 2021 ANA Inspiration Championship, who recorded just two top tens on the LPGA Tour last year, is now closing in on a second successive win after a superb round of 66 saw her establish a three-shot lead at the end of the third round.
Starting the day in a three-way tie with Madelene Sagstrom and Sei Young Kim, the 24-year-old made a blistering start to her round with four birdies and one eagle in her first seven holes.
A bogey on 11 was cancelled out by a birdie on 16, with her level-par back nine leaving the home favourite on -16 and in prime position to claim her first non-Major win on the LPGA Tour.
"Last week gave me a lot of confidence going into tomorrow," Tavatanakit said after the round. "I'm not saying I'm going to guarantee the result right away, but there are a lot of positives and a lot of good things to look at the past seven rounds I've played.
"I came into this week with an open mindset of learning this position that I'm in now - coming into a home event and being last week's champion. There is a lot of pressure, but I can look at it as an encouragement for me to feel happy to play in front of my fans."
Tavatanakit's closest contender will be Sagstrom who ended a frustrating third round in style, with a crucial eagle on the par-five last catapulting her up to -13 as she goes in search of her first Tour win since 2020.
Patty is on 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥@Patty_MPT | @hondalpgath pic.twitter.com/wSjGP09C57February 24, 2024
“I think you kind of know that to really have a chance for tomorrow you have to play good golf,” the Swede reflected after the round.
“You don't really do that by comparing yourself to somebody else or trying to react on their games. All I need to do is get my own zone and out of my own way.”
At -12 sit Hyo Joo Kim, Hye-Jin Choi and Emily Kristine Pedersen, with the latter two carding impressive seven-under-par 65s to shoot up the leaderboard.
Elsewhere, two-time Major champion Brooke Henderson and 2021 LPGA Thailand winner Ariya Jutanugarn are two of the five names rounding out the top 10 in a tie for sixth at -11.
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