Lydia Ko off the pace as Nasa Hataoka takes the lead at US Open

Nasa Hataoka plays an approach shot on the 18th hole during the third round. Photo / Getty

Neither the wind at Pebble Beach nor the stage of a US Open could stop Nasa Hataoka, who delivered a remarkable round in the toughest conditions for a six-under 66 and a one-shot lead.

Hataoka not only posted the low score of the championship, she played bogey-free on a day Pebble Beach dished out big numbers without much warning. Her 66 was nearly nine shots better than the field average and moved her to seven-under for the tournament.

More important, it left the 24-year-old from Japan one round away from her first major. Hataoka has lost playoffs at two majors, including two years ago to Yuka Saso at the US Open.

Allisen Corpuz was right there with her until the end, when the Hawaii native missed an eight-foot birdie putt on the 17th and then caught a plugged lie in the bunker that runs along the ocean wall on the 18th. She had to pitch out to the fairway and missed her 15-foot par putt.

Corpuz had a 71 — one of 10 players who broke par — and will be in the final group with Hataoka on today.

Kiwi world No 3 Lydia Ko could not mount a charge into contention, shooting a two-over 74 to be in a tie for 29th at five-over, 12 shots behind Hataoka.

Bailey Tardy, the LPGA Tour rookie who had a two-shot lead at the start of the day, began to fall back as she turned into the wind and then lost her way on the 15th hole when she hit a clunky chip that ran through the green, chipped too strong coming back and made double bogey.

Tardy shot 75 and was three shots behind at four-under, along with Hyo Joo Kim (73). Jiyai Shin (70) and Hae Ran Ryu (73) were five behind. No one else was under par.

So many others did well just to hold their ground, and left themselves far behind.

Rose Zhang, the crowd favourite at Pebble Beach from her sterling amateur career at Stanford and winning her first LPGA event as a pro, had a chance to get to three-under for the round until missing a four-foot birdie putt on the seventh hole.

She didn’t make a birdie the rest of the way. She settled for a 72 and was among those eight shots behind. Leona Maguire, who had a 40 on the scorable front nine on Saturday, struggled again with a pair of double bogeys and went out in 39. But she was even par the rest of the way for a 75.

Irish amateur Aine Donegan had the toughest time. She was playing her best golf of the week and making an early run with three birdies through seven holes and a perfect drive on the eighth, short of the 60-foot cliff with a harsh left-to-right wind.

And then she sailed a hybrid into the hazard area well right and below the green. She headed back to the drop zone and did it again. It added to a nine, effectively ending her chances.

“Probably one of the worst shots I’ve hit all year,” Donegan said. “And followed it up with the exact same thing.”

Of the six players still under par, only Kim and Shin have won majors. Shin is a two-time British Open champion and former world No 1 who has left the LPGA Tour and primarily plays the Japan LPGA.

Hataoka hopes she can learn from her experiences in playoff losses at majors, particularly the one at Olympic.

“I still have this very last day to look forward to, and although circumstances may be different, I think some of the elements are still the same as they were versus two years ago,” Hataoka said. “In other words, I have to go on all of those 18 holes, discuss with my caddie and work out what’s the best for me, and enjoy my day.”