WASHINGTON (AFP) — South Korea’s Ko Jin-young shot a 5-under 67 to grab a two shot lead at the LPGA Tour’s FM Championship after the third round at TPC Boston on Saturday.

Ko’s compatriot Ryu Hae-ran, whose stunning 10-under 62 on Friday had earned her a six stroke lead, had a nightmare round, shooting a six-over 78 and fell to four shots off the lead.

On the other hand, Filipino Bianca Pagdanganan suffered a late meltdown after finishing with a five-over-par 77.

The two-time Olympian failed to sustain her momentum in the second round in which she fired a sizzling 66 that put her into a share of the second spot behind Ryu as she dropped four shots in the last five holes, including a double bogey in the final hole.

With that, she slipped into a tie for 26th place at 2-under-par overall.

Ko made four birdies before the turn and although she suffered a setback with a bogey at the par-4 15th, she bounced back with birdies on the last two holes.

The 29-year-old Ko, a two-time major champion, has 15 career wins on the LPGA Tour and was the LPGA’s Player of the Year in 2019 and 2021.

She is looking for her first win of 2024 however with her most recent victory coming at the Cognizant Founders Cup in May last year.

On the 12 occasions when Ko has led going into the final round of an LPGA event she has emerged as the winner nine times.

“I’m trying to be a very competitive person; that’s why if I get in the lead, I think it’s good motivation for me,” Ko said.

“This golf course is not easy, so I think I need to focus on myself and just repeat to myself, ‘You can do it, you got this.’ I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” she added.