Brooke Henderson leads by 3 entering final round of LPGA season opener

Canada's Brooke Henderson went from complete control of her game for two days to having to scratch out a good score Saturday. The result was a 3-under 69 and a three-shot lead in the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Fla.

The Smiths Falls, Ont., native was up for the fight and moved to 14-under 202 in the LPGA Tour season opener at Lake Nona. Henderson will take a three-shot lead over Nelly Korda (68) and Nasa Hataoka of Japan (66) into the final round.

Maja Stark of Sweden (68) and Charley Hull of England (69) trail by five.

After a pedestrian stretch of golf early on her second nine that included a bogey at the par-4 12th — only her second bogey of the week — Henderson managed to slide in a 30-foot curler for birdie from the left side of the 16th green.

WATCH | Henderson maintains lead heading into final round:

It was a huge bonus, returning a small dose of momentum after her game had surprisingly stalled after 2 1/2 rounds of red-hot play.

Henderson missed a short birdie putt at the 14th hole — a par 4 where the tee was pushed up to only 229 yards — and failed to get up and down for birdie at the reachable par-5 15th, where her approach shot tugged left of the water-guarded green but at least had the good fortune to stay up. She didn't make the most of the break, settling for par. Then came the unexpected slider on 16, which provided a nice, and needed, lift.

"That putt on 16 was a huge help," said Henderson, who is chasing her 13th LPGA victory. Last season she won twice, including her second major, the Evian Championship in France, but ended the year struggling with a bad back. "It wasn't quite as smooth today, but big putts like that in big moments definitely help."

Henderson started the