Yani Tseng has 3-stroke lead in Kia Classic

Top-ranked Yani Tseng remained in position for her second straight LPGA Tour title and third in five events this year, shooting a bogey-free 3-under 69 on Saturday to take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the Kia Classic.

Tseng missed a 5-foot birdie try on the par-5 17th, then saved par with an 8-foot putt on the par-4 18th to finish at 12-under 204 on La Costa's Legends Course

The 23-year-old Taiwanese star won the LPGA Founders Cup last week in Phoenix for her 14th LPGA Tour title, and also won the LPGA Thailand in February. She led the tour last season with seven victories - including major victories in the LPGA Championship and Women's British Open - and finished the year with 12 worldwide titles.

South Korea's Jiyai Shin was second after a 68.

South Korea's Sun Young Yoo and Sweden's Caroline Hedwall were 7 under. Yoo had a 67 - the best round of the day - and Hedwall missed a short par putt on the 18th to settle for a 70.

Tseng opened with a 67 for a share of the first-round lead, and had a 68 on Friday to pull two strokes ahead. In her last six events with the 54-hole lead, she has won five times, the only loss coming last year in the Kraft Nabisco Championship. She's 6-5 overall with the 54-hole lead.

Tseng birdied the par-4 first hole and also birdied the par-5 seventh and 12th.

She got a break on the 18th when her drive went right, but stayed on the cart path and crossed over a bridge, leaving her just 71 yards on the 399-yard hole. Her second shot, however, went past the flag and she was fortunate to two-putt for par from 45 feet.

Shin had seven birdies and three bogeys. She birdied the first three holes, and got within a stroke of Tseng with another birdie on No. 6. Shin bogeyed Nos. 9, 10 and 12, and rallied with birdies on Nos. 13, 14 and 17.