Katie Burnett holed a 26 yard chip on her final hole ot the day to snag the outright 54-hole lead at the LOTTE Championship Presented by HERSHEY.
“It was a solid round,” Burnett said. “I just tried to stay patient. I had a few opportunities early that I didn’t -- I kind of like let slip by or just had a little bit of a lapse in mental -- you know, my process and my routine. Then I just really focused on the back nine, just staying with my process and being patient and knowing that eventually I would make a few birdies.”
Burnett fired a third round 67, her second-consecutive bogey-free round, to post 13-under for the first three days and hold a one-shot lead over sponsor invite Su-Yeon Jang.
“I’m doing everything pretty good,” Burnett admitted. “Putting mainly. I’ve made a lot of putts over the last three days. I would usually say that’s probably one of the best parts of my game is putting. Anything inside ten feet I usually am pretty good percentage-wise from there. I had made a couple long ones too this week. I grew up on Bermuda and I love Bermuda greens. I see the putts better on Bermuda.”
The Brunswick, Ga., native has enjoyed playing in the wind this week because it reminds her of home.
“I’m from the coast so I’m used to the wind,” Burnett explained. “I’ve been home for two weeks and it was really windy at home, so I have pretty much been working on a pinch shot or three-quarter shot so it doesn’t get so affected by the wind.”
Another thing that makes the event feel like home for Burnett is that her brother, Ben Burnett, is stationed at Pearl Harbor and lives 25 minutes from Ko Olina.
“It’s awesome to have family out here and people that are here to watch and my niece running around giving me high fives and cheering for me yesterday.”
Burnett has always looked up to her brother and he will be on site for Saturday’s final round.
“I did everything he ever did as a kid,” Burnett admitted. “I followed him around basically. He played golf so I decided to do it. I wanted to do anything he did. He was a point guard in basketball; I was a point guard in basketball. Pitcher, I was a pitcher in it softball.”
Joining Burnett in the final group will be Jang and 2015 U.S. Women’s Open winner In Gee Chun, who is three back. Defending champion Sei Young Kim is in the penultimate group with a pair of Thai players looking for their first victories in Moriya Jutanugarn and P.K. Kongkraphan.
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