(Reuters) – China’s Yu Liu joined Celine Boutier of France at the top of a crowded U.S. Women’s Open leaderboard after the third round at Charleston, South Carolina on Saturday.
Boutier drove the ball with unerring accuracy en route to a 69 while Liu recovered from an early bogey to pile up six birdies and card a five-under-par 66 that matched the best score of the day.
The pair lead on seven-under 206 with Americans Lexi Thompson (68) and Jaye Marie Green (68) and Japan’s Mamiko Higa (71) one stroke behind at Country Club of Charleston.
Sunday’s winner will take home $1 million, the first seven-figure prize in women’s golf.
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
