NAPLES, Fla.-Lexi Thompson has control of the CME Group Tour Championship, and Ariya Jutanugarn is in control of just about everything else.
Thompson's 4-under 68 on Saturday pushed her to 16 under after three rounds of the LPGA's season-ending event. She moved three shots clear of Nelly Korda and six ahead of Carlota Ciganda at Tiburon Golf Club. Korda shot her second consecutive 67 to get to 13 under, and Ciganda grinded out a 69 to get to 10 under for the week.
Thompson has been nearly flawless this week. Her only dropped shot of the tournament came Saturday when she made bogey at the par-4 fourth hole, then put together five birdies over the rest of her round.
"Golf is all about momentum," Thompson said.
Right now, she has an abundance of that going for her. For the week, she has 14 birdies, one eagle and the one bogey. She's been calm and collected with her newly purchased Havanese Poodle around this week, finding a rhythm with an old putter and having her brother Curtis as her caddie.
If Thompson hangs on Sunday, she'll have her first win of the season.
If Jutanugarn keeps things together, she'll leave with plenty of prizes as well.
Jutanugarn will start her final round 10 shots back but leading the projected Race to the CME Globe standings and in position to claim the $1 million bonus for winning the LPGA's season-long points race-which would be her second in three years. Jutanugarn already has clinched player of the year and is nearly mathematically assured of winning the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average on tour.
The Vare Trophy isn't hers yet, but it would take the most improbable of outcomes for that to slip away from Jutanugarn in the final round of the season. The two closest players to Jutanugarn in the season scoring standings are Minjee Lee and Jin Young Ko; either of them would have to beat the world's No. 1 player by about 30 strokes on Sunday to pass her in the Vare race.
Korda had an eventful day with more birdies than pars-8-7-but with three bogeys as well. So Yeon Ru (69 for the third straight day) and Marina Alex (71) are tied for fourth at 9 under, and Lydia Ko shot a bogey-free 68 on Saturday to move into a tie for sixth at 8 under with Brittany Lincicome (73).
First-round leader Amy Olson made three double-bogeys on her way to a 76, leaving her in a tie for 16th and 11 shots off Thompson's lead.
CME Group Tour
Championship Scores
Saturday
At Tiburon Golf Club
Naples, Fla.
Purse: $2.5 million
Yardage: 6,556; Par: 72
Third Round
Lexi Thompson 65-67-68-200
Nelly Korda 69-67-67-203
Carlota Ciganda 66-71-69-206
So Yeon Ryu 69-69-69-207
Marina Alex 69-67-71-207
Lydia Ko 69-71-68-208
Brittany Lincicome 64-71-73-208
Sei Young Kim 69-72-68-209
Gaby Lopez 71-69-69-209
Megan Khang 71-67-71-209
Charley Hull 69-68-72-209
Ariya Jutanugarn 70-71-69-210
Mi Hyang Lee 70-70-70-210
Nasa Hataoka 64-76-70-210
Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras 67-70-73-210
Brooke M. Henderson 73-69-69-211
Jessica Korda 69-69-73-211
Amy Olson 63-72-76-211
Anna Nordqvist 70-71-71-212
Danielle Kang 69-72-71-212
Lizette Salas 69-71-72-212
Sung Hyun Park 71-73-69-213
Brittany Altomare 73-73-68-214
Tiffany Joh 71-72-71-214
Azahara Munoz 72-69-73-214
Yu Liu 68-72-74-214
Annie Park 74-74-67-215
Haeji Kang 70-76-69-215
Aditi Ashok 72-73-70-215
Jane Park 72-72-71-215
Hee Young Park 69-74-72-215
Katherine Kirk 70-72-73-215
Su Oh 71-75-70-216
Mo Martin 74-71-71-216
Moriya Jutanugarn 72-71-73-216
Austin Ernst 70-72-74-216
Eun-Hee Ji 71-77-69-217
Sakura Yokomine 72-72-73-217
Pornanong Phatlum 73-70-74-217
Chella Choi 69-74-74-217
Maria Torres 73-74-71-218
Angel Yin 71-76-71-218
Thidapa Suwannapura 73-73-72-218
Mirim Lee 72-74-72-218
Jenny Shin 72-73-73-218
Emma Talley 70-75-73-218
Georgia Hall 71-72-75-218
Caroline Masson 71-72-75-218
Wei-Ling Hsu 72-70-76-218
Cristie Kerr 69-70-79-218
Dani Holmqvist 70-76-73-219
Peiyun Chien 73-72-74-219
Minjee Lee 70-75-74-219
Hannah Green 73-71-75-219
Ashleigh Buhai 69-71-79-219
Wichanee Meechai 74-74-72-220
Celine Boutier 74-74-72-220
Ayako Uehara 74-73-73-220
Lindy Duncan 67-79-74-220
Jeong Eun Lee 71-73-76-220
Jaye Marie Green 69-75-76-220
Jodi Ewart Shadoff 70-73-77-220
Mariajo Uribe 71-74-76-221
Ryann O'Toole 72-79-71-222
Sarah Jane Smith 70-80-72-222
Bronte Law 69-79-74-222
In Gee Chun 72-74-76-222
Ally McDonald 73-72-77-222
Jacqui Concolino 76-75-72-223
Jin Young Ko 78-72-73-223
Pernilla Lindberg 75-77-73-225
Mariah Stackhouse 76-75-78-229