WASHINGTON (AFP) — Jennifer Kupcho sank a four-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to give her and Ally Ewing a one-stroke lead after Saturday’s third round of the LPGA Great Lakes Bay Invitational.

The American duo fired a three-under-par 67 in alternate shot format to stand on 15-under 195 after 54 holes in the pairs event at Michigan’s Midland Country Club.

Teams played alternate shot in the first and third rounds and have four-ball in the second and fourth rounds of the $3 million event.

The Americans combined to birdie the par-4 fifth, par-4 10th and par-5 11th holes and answered a bogey at 16 with a birdie on the par-3 closing hole.

“The wind was a little gusty and swirly out there,” Ewing said. “Getting in the round at three-under felt good.”

Sharing second on 196 were the South Korean pair of Kang Hae-ji and Kim In-kyung, who shot 65 but missed a share of the lead on a closing bogey, and the duo of China’s Yin Ruoning and Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul, who overcame a double-bogey at the par-3 fourth with birdies on three of the last four holes to shoot 66.

Two off the pace on 197 were US duo Caroline Inglis and Amanda Doherty and American Auston Kim and Australian Grace Kim.