The duo of Cheyenne Knight and Elizabeth Szokol was tied for 18th after the first round and tied for sixth after the second.
With 18 holes to go in the LPGA’s Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, they hold the outright lead, three clear of the field.
The Knight/Szokol pairing produced a 61 in Thursday’s second round, which tied Paula Reto and Amelia Lewis for second-best score of the day. Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Emma Talley posted a 60.
On Friday, Knight/Szokol went low again, recording a 62, the best score of the third round by four shots. Their day featured a back-nine 29, nine total birdies and only one bogey.
Knight and Szokol are at 18 under, three ahead of Matilda Castren/Kelly Tan. Celine Borge/Polly Mack are tied for third at 13 under along with Shadoff and Talley.
Knight has one LPGA win, the 2019 Volunteers of America Classic. Szokol is seeking her first victory.
Notable teams that missed the Thursday cut included Brooke Henderson/Lexi Thompson, Ruoning Yin/Xiaowen Yin and Georgia Hall/Ryann O’Toole.
The tournament concludes Saturday, giving those headed to the LPGA’s next major, the Amundi Evian Championship in France, an extra day for travel and preparation.
Sunday finish for Dow in 2024
The Dow started in 2019 and has always featured a Saturday finish. Next year, however, it’ll conclude on a Sunday.
The first official team competition in LPGA Tour history, the Dow is shifting dates to accommodate the 2024 Summer Olympics, which will be in Paris.