Min makes a move in Maryland

Na On Min, an 18-year-old South Korean rookie, was the shock third round leader in the McDonald’s LPGA Championship after she shot a magnificent seven-under-par 65 at Bulle Rock in Maryland.

The tiny teenager does not even hold a full card for the LPGA Tour but she packed eight birdies into the round and finished on 10 under 206, one ahead of Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, who had a 71.

Brazil’s Angela Park (68) and Australia’s Karrie Webb (71) were tied for third on eight under.

Morgan Pressel, the 19-year-old who won the first major of the year at the Kraft Nabisco Championship in March, was on seven under after a 70, while world number one Lorena Ochoa was not out of it five behind after holing a monster birdie putt at the last for a 69.

England’s Laura Davies, with a 71, and Scotland’s Catriona Matthew and Mhairi McKay, who both shot 74, were all tied on two under par and in joint 19th place.

This is only Min’s sixth tournament on the LPGA this season, although she showed her potential with a top-five finish on her debut at the Corona Championships in Mexico in April.

She does not speak much English but could still express her delight.

“It was great. I hit 16 greens today and I’m very proud of myself. This is the best day of my life,” she said.

“I don’t know how well I’ll sleep tonight. I was very nervous on the last two holes and I’ll probably be even more nervous tomorrow. But I’ll just try to ignore the situation and hit a lot of good shots.”

Pettersen, the overnight leader, was three shots clear of the field after she birdied the second and fourth, and then recovered from a couple of bogeys with an eagle at the long 11th.

But she again dropped back with a double-bogey at the 13th, where she had to take a penalty drop out of deep rough.

She rallied once more with a 20-foot putt for birdie at the short 17th to maintain hopes of a second win this season to set alongside the Michelob ULTRA Open.

Michelle Wie survived the cut on the final mark but the 17-year-old’s troubled comeback from a five months absence with a wrist injury continued with an horrendous third-round 83.

On 14 over par she was last of the 84 left in the field and there was a chance she could pull out of the final round.

“I’ll see how my wrist is overnight and make my decision tomorrow,” she said.

The previous week, the Hawaiian youngster controversially withdrew from a tournament in South Carolina when she stood 14 over par after 16 holes in the first round.

It was two years ago, as a carefree 15-year-old amateur that Wie finished second to Annika Sorenstam in this championship – one of her six top 10 in majors.

Another three British players made the cut. Wales’ Becky Morgan (74) was on four-over par, Johanna Head (75) was on six over par, and Wales’ Karen Davies, a US-based teaching professional, had a 76 for seven over.

Lorie Kane, the only Canadian to make the cut, had a 76 and was well down the field on seven over par.