Venezuelan rookie Veronica Felibert fired a five-under 66 Saturday to stretch her lead to four shots heading into the final round of the LPGA Tour’s NW Arkansas Classic.
Felibert continued her surprising run which saw her shoot an opening round 65 to take a one-stroke lead.
She got into the tournament as a second alternate after missing the cut in her three previous events.
Felibert, who is in her first year on the LPGA Tour, finished two rounds at 11-under-par as she set a tournament 36-hole record with her 131 total.
The previous record of 132 was set by Meena Lee and Ji Eun-hee in 2008, then equalled by Michelle Wie in 2010.
Japan’s Mika Miyazato and South Korea’s Park In-bee were tied for second at the Pinnacle Country Club course.
Miyazato had a 65, and former US Women’s Open winner Park shot a three-under 68.
Brittany Lang had a 63 and is in a group at six-under par. Lang’s 63 was the best round of the week.
Lang is tied with LPGA Championship winner Feng Shanshan of China (70), Katie Futcher (67), Ryann O’Toole (68) and Ai Miyazato (68).
World No.1 Yani Tseng, of Taiwan, followed her opening round 73 with a 74 as she missed her first cut in more than a year.
Tseng, who missed the cut by four shots, is the two-time defending champion of this event and a three-time winner this year.
Wie also didn’t make it to Sunday, missing the cut for the sixth time in her last seven tournaments.