Torrid third round sees Stephanie Meadow drop back at Kroger Queen City Championship

A difficult third round for Stephanie Meadow saw the Northern Irish golfer drop out of top-20 contention at the Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati.

The Antrim native had been nine shots off the lead in a tie for 19th heading into Saturday's action but carded a four-over 76 to fall back to one under and 14 shots off new leader Minjee Lee of Australia.

Meadow managed just one birdie on the par-4 10th in a round littered with five bogeys, four of which came on the front nine.

In contrast, at the summit, Lee carded a seven-under-par 65 to assume the lead.

She sits at 15 under with a two-shot lead over Charley Hull (third round 68) and Taiwan's Peiyun Chen, who shot a disappointing 73 after owning the 36-hole lead.

Morgane Metraux of Switzerland is solo fourth at 12 under with her third-round 70. Madelene Sagstrom (68) and Japan's Yuka Saso (70) are four shots off the lead in a tie for fifth at Kenwood Country Club.

LEADERBOARD

Lee is the tournament's third different leader. China's Ruixin Liu led by a stroke after the first round, but she shot 81 on Saturday to fall to a tie for 47th.

Lee started strongly, recording birdies on her first three holes of her round. She added four more birdies on the back nine and turned in a clean card for her 65.

"Obviously it's nice to get off to a fast start," she said. "I just wanted tomake more birdies after that. I think it was just playing the course shot by shot, and coming down the last few holes, it got quite gusty and windy."

Sagstrom played her way into contention with a four-under 68 despite a dubious start. She bogeyed the par-4 first and also bogeyed the eighth, making the turn at even par. But an eagle on the 10th and two birdies - including the closing hole - coming in