The China Mail - Vu outduels Hull to grab lead at LPGA Ford Championship

The 27-year-old American, who also led by two shots when the day began, fired a four-under par 68 in firm and windy conditions to stand on 18-under 198 after 54 holes at Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, Arizona.

"It was pretty difficult," Vu said. "Not only that, I feel like my ball-striking hasn't been as great the past few days but today it was good."

Hull closed with a birdie to shoot 68 and stand on 200, putting herself in the final pairing with Vu, with Japan's Ayaka Furue and Denmark's Nanna Koerstz Madsen sharing third on 201.

A fifth-place pack on 202 included China's Zhang Yahui, South Koreans Ryu Hae-ran and Kim Hyo-joo, American Allisen Corpuz and world number two Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand.

A double bogey by Vu at 14 left her level with Hull for the lead, but the American birdied the next three holes to seize command.

"I feel like I got a huge stop sign after that," Vu said after her stumble at 14. "I was telling my caddie I just can't get the numbers right today.

"He just said to me I'm just going to get you on the green and we can try to make the putt from there and that's exactly what we were doing."

Sixth-ranked Vu, a former world number one, seeks her sixth LPGA title and the first since last June's Meijer Classic, her first event after a three-month absence for a still-nagging back injury.

"I'm not thinking too much about it," Vu said of winning. "I'm just going to go out there and have fun."

World number 10 Hull seeks her third career LPGA triumph and first since the 2022 Volunteers of America Classic.

Hull and Vu battled for the lead much of the day, the American answering whenever challenged.

Vu birdied the par-5 second and sandwiched birdies at the fifth and par-5 seventh around her first bogey of the week at the sixth before closing the front nine with another bogey.

That opened the door for Hull, who overcame an opening bogey with birdies at the second, fifth and seventh and another at the par-5 12th to match Vu for the lead at 15-under.

Vu responded with a birdie at the par-4 11th and a four-foot birdie putt at the par-5 12th to reach 17-under and when Hull made bogey at 14, Vu's lead was up to three shots.

But Hull answered with a birdie at 16 and when Vu made a double bogey at the 14th they were again tied for the lead.

Vu answered once more with a long birdie putt at the par-3 15th and tap-in birdies at 16 and the par-5 17th to reach 18-under and lead by three before Hull's closing birdie.

G.Tsang--ThChM