Hataoka is at seven-under 209 through three rounds to earn her way into the final group for Sunday’s final round at the first ever US Women’s Open played at the famed course along the Pacific Ocean.

Hataoka had the best round of the day that included sunny but windy conditions, with nobody else in the field better than two-under for the third round. Only 11 players were under par in the third round.

Corpuz shot a one-under 71 on Saturday after she lipped out a birdie putt at No 17 and had a bogey at 18 when she had to chip out of a fairway bunker because of a half-buried lie.

South Korea’s Kim Hyo-joo (73 on Saturday) and second-round leader Bailey Tardy (75) were tied for third place at four-under. Tardy had a two-shot lead heading into Saturday’s play before struggling off the tee early in the round.

Hataoka was two under through the first nine holes then had birdies at No 10, 13, 16 and 17 to vault into the lead. She built momentum with a long birdie putt at 10, then drained a 20-footer at 13. She chipped in from the fringe for birdie at 16 then made a 10-foot putt at 17 for the only bogey-free round Saturday.

Corpuz was two under through 10 holes but bogeys at No 11 and 18 slowed her round. The Hawaii native twice moved into sole possession of the lead, once after a par putt at No 8 and again after a birdie at No 14.

The only others in the field under par through three rounds were the South Korea duo of Jiyai Shin (70) and Hae Ran Ryu (73), who were at two-under. England’s Charley Hull and Angel Yin were tied for seventh at even par.