Choi Hye-jin sits 1 shot back heading into final round of The Annika

Choi Hye-jin kept her bid for a first LPGA Tour victory alive at The Annika, heading into the final round just one stroke off the lead after relinquishing the top spot in the third round.

Choi carded an even-par 70 on Sunday (Korean Standard Time) at Pelican Golf Club (par 70) in Belleair, Florida, during the third round of The Annika Driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, which carries a $3.25 million purse. She made four birdies and four bogeys.

At 12 under par and 198 total, Choi dropped from co-leader after the first two rounds to sole second place. Lindy Duncan of the United States moved into the outright lead at 13 under par and 197 total after a bogey-free round with one birdie.

Choi dropped shots on the first and second holes — consecutive bogeys on the par-4s — and then gave another stroke away on the par-4 fifth. She bounced back with consecutive birdies on the par-4 sixth and par-5 seventh, then added two more on the par-4 13th and par-5 14th. A bogey on the par-4 18th to close was a costly finish.

Choi had also struggled with early consecutive bogeys in Saturday's second round, and while she overcame a difficult start for the second straight day, she could not make enough gains to hold the lead. "It was cold and windy today, which made things tough," she said. "I made mistakes on the front nine but tried to stay focused on my own game. The course was firm, so instead of going straight at the pins I focused on rolling the ball in."

Choi debuted on the LPGA Tour in 2022 and has yet to claim her first win. She has finished runner-up six times in her career, including back-to-back runner-up finishes most recently at the Buick LPGA Shanghai and the BMW Ladies Championship. "I still carry the memories of not winning, but those experiences stay with me," she said. "Even if things don't go well on the front nine tomorrow, I'll stay focused until the very end."

Yoshida Yuri of Japan, the BMW Ladies Championship winner last month, moved into third place at 11 under par and 199 total after a three-under round. Yun I-na sits fourth at 10 under par and 200 total after carding a one-under round.

Ryu Hae-ran, still recovering from a finger injury, vaulted into a tie for fifth at 9 under par and 201 total after a bogey-free round of five birdies. "My hand is not 100 percent yet, but it's better than in the first two rounds and I had almost no pain today," Ryu said.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda of the United States slipped into a tie for eighth at 7 under par and 203 total after dropping one stroke on the day, with four birdies offset by one double bogey and three bogeys.