Leona Maguire and Aine Donegan slip back ahead of US Women's Open final round

Leona Maguire will start the final round of the US Women's Open nine shots off the lead after a three-over 75 on Saturday, while Clare amateur Aine Donegan is two shots further back after carding the same third round score.

It's Nasa Hataoka who leads the way after she produced a dazzling 66 in tough conditions at Pebble Beach.

The Japanese leader, 24, shot a bogey-free 66 to finish on seven-under-par on a day when nobody else broke 70 and only 11 of the 74-strong field came home under par.

American Allisen Corpuz fell out of a share of the lead with a bogey on the last with overnight leader Bailey Tardy and South Korea's Hyo Joo Kim two shots back, two ahead of Korean duo Jiyai Shin and Hae Ran Ryu - the only other players under par.

Maguire had been seven adrift of Hataoka going into Saturday's round but despite birdies on two, 14 and 18, double bogeys on the sixth and eighth as well as further dropped shots on 12 and 13 proved costly, although the Cavan native remains relatively well placed in 13th on the leaderboard on two over.

Donegan, meanwhile, is four over and tied for 19th. Like Maguire, she also struggled on the eighth, enduring a quintuple bogey on the par-4 hole.

Otherwise apart from bogeys on 11 and 17, her round featured plenty of high points with birdies on one, four, six and 15.

Hataoka has lost in play-offs at two majors, including the US Women's Open two years ago.

She said: "Although circumstances may be different, I think some of the elements are still the same as they were versus two years ago.

"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 tomorrow."

LEADERBOARD

Additional reporting: PA