Katherine Kirk fired a three-under-par 68 to sit within three shots of leaders Lee-Anne Pace and Laura Diaz going into the final round of the LPGA Tour’s Marathon Classic in Ohio.

Australian Kirk is eight-under for the tournament in a tie for sixth behind American Diaz and South Africa’s Pace who are locked on 11-under.

Pace, seeking her first LPGA title, shot three-under, while Diaz carded an even-par round on Saturday

South Korean Ryu So-Yeon and 20-year-old American Jaye Marie Green shared third on 10-under with New Zealand’s Lydia Ko fifth on nine-under.

Pace, an eight-time winner on the Ladies European Tour, hopes a strong showing will help her jump to the US tour.

The South African birdied the third and ninth holes but stumbled with bogeys at 11 and 12.

She responded with birdies at the par-4 13th and par-3 14th and another at the par-5 17th.

Diaz, who led when the day began, birdied the third hole but followed with a double bogey at the fourth.

On the par-4 ninth, Diaz drove the ball eight feet beyond the cup and made the eagle putt, but took a bogey at 12.

Green, with her teaching-pro father serving as caddie, fired an eight-under 63.

“I’m just going to hit the driver on every hole tomorrow and go for everything,” Green said.

Ryu ran off three birdies in a row, finishing at the par-5 17th, to fire a 68 and join Green one off the pace in Sunday’s penultimate group.

Ko birdied the par-5 17th and 18th to close within two of the leaders.