San Francisco, CA (SportsNetwork.com) - Brooke Henderson followed up her 65 on Friday with an even-par 72 in Saturday's third round, but remains in front by one shot at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic.
Henderson, who also led following the second round, finished 54 holes at 9- under-par 207. The 17-year-old Canadian is seeking her first win on the LPGA Tour as she just turned pro this year.
Morgan Pressel surged up the leaderboard late and fired a 5-under 67 to grab a share of second place. She was joined at 8-under 208 by Min Seo Kwak (69) at Lake Merced Golf Club.
First-round leader and world No. 1 Lydia Ko, who won the inaugural event last year, shot a 1-under 71 and was tied for fourth at 6-under 210. World No. 3 Stacy Lewis and Shanshan Feng are one shot further back at minus-5 following matching 71s.
Henderson started off her round solid and at one point held a 5-shot lead on Saturday, but she sputtered a bit down the stretch.
The youngster was the first player to 10-under par when she made birdie at the first, but she fell right back to minus-9 with a bogey at the second.
Still in firm control of the lead, Henderson rolled in three straight pars before getting back to 10-under with a gain at the par-5 sixth hole.
That was Henderson's last birdie for a while as she made seven straight pars from No. 7. She got up-and-down for birdie at the par-5 14th and was up by three shots heading into the final four holes.
Following two pars on 15 and 16, Henderson bogeyed the last two holes, including the par-5 18th, trimming her lead to just one heading into the final round.
"It was a great day out there. It was really tough conditions and I was able to play really well," Henderson said. "Couple times my short game needed to bail me out, and it was able to do that, especially the first 16 holes.
"The last two, unfortunately I dropped two shots. Overall it was a great day and I'm really happy to be where I am."
Pressel was well back of the lead at minus-3 as she parred the first seven holes, but she then began her ascent up the leaderboard. Back-to-back birdies on eight and nine had Pressel in red numbers, but she tripped to a bogey on 11.
The 26-year-old then rattled off four birdies over her final six holes, including a gain at the last to pull within three at the time. Henderson's late bogeys left Pressel just one back.
"I wouldn't say it was the absolute very best I could've played, but I certainly kept control of the golf ball in the wind," Pressel said. "It was a completely different golf course today. It was very interesting with all the rain overnight."
Kwak made bogey at the first before getting it back with a birdie on three. A pair of bogeys on six and seven were quickly canceled out with a birdie on eight and a hole-out from the fairway for eagle at the par-5 ninth.
Another Kwak birdie on 10 was eliminated by her fourth bogey on 12, but she finished strong with birdies on 15 and 18 to join Pressel in second.
NOTES: Pressel has two wins on tour, including a major title at the 2007 Kraft Nabisco Championship. She has not won since the 2008 Kapalua LPGA Classic ... Henderson's only other start this year was at the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic, where she tied for 33rd ... Kwak's best finish this season is a tie for 41st at the Women's Australian Open.
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