South Korean Ye Na Chung fired a four-under-par 68 in swirling winds on Saturday to take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the Sanya Ladies Open at Yalong Bay Golf Club in Hainan, China.

The 25-year-old from Seoul finished at 12-under-par, a stroke ahead of South African Lee-Anne Pace with Chinese amateur Yu Ting Shi a shot further behind in third.

Chung wants to win the tri-sanctioned event to join the Ladies European Tour (LET) for the first time, while Pace is targeting her second victory at Yalong Bay after taking the inaugural event in 2010, the year she won the order of merit and five titles around the world.

However, Chinese National Team member Shi is only two strokes off the lead with the tantalising possibility of becoming the LET’s youngest tournament winner aged 15 years and seven months, as she is two months younger than Lydia Ko when she won the ISPS HANDA New Zealand Women’s Open in February.

Australia’s Nikki Campbell, who carded a career-best 63 to claim a one-shot lead after the first round, crashed on day two with a heartbreaking round of six-over 78.

Alison Whitaker fared better to be five shots off the lead on 137 after rounds of 68 and 69, one stroke ahead of fellow Australian Kristie Smith (138) and three in front of Sarah Kemp (140).

On a day of contrasting wind speeds, all of the top three players were out in the more favourable afternoon conditions.

Sweden’s Linda Wessberg set the target at nine-under early in the day with a second-round 68 in stronger winds. Kylie Walker had two eagles in her second round – at the par-4 4th and par-5 13th holes, before ending the day at four-under in a tie for 12th.

Defending champion Cassandra Kirkland ended on six-over-par after two rounds and made a disappointing early exit after winning the title at the same venue last year.