May 30 - June 02
Country Club of Charleston, Charleston, South Carolina
$5,500,000
Round 1, Round 2, Round 4

Former Duke teammates Yu Liu of China and Celine Boutier of France are tied for the lead after three rounds.

Liu rallied from four shots behind when the round began with a 66 to get to 7 under. Former teammate on the 2014 NCAA championship squad, Boutier, shot a 69.

Liu and Boutier were a stroke in front of Lexi Thompson, Jaye Marie Green and Japan's Mamiko Higa, the surprise leader the first two rounds.

Boutier held the lead at 8 under until she shot her only bogey of the round on 16 after stubbing a chip and needing a 21-footer to limit the damage. She won the Vic Open in February in Australia for her first LPGA Tour title.

Liu, in her first U.S. Women's Open, made six birdies in a 13-hole stretch to move up after starting four shots off the lead. She's winless on the tour.

Thompson powered her way into contention, going eagle-birdie on the 15th and 16th holes for a 68.

Green shot 68, her second sub-70 showing this week after entering with just one round in the 60s in five Open appearances.

Higa had an up-and-down round of three birdies and three bogeys to lose the lead she's held much of the week. She finished with her second straight 71.

Boutier was among 45 players who couldn't finish the second round Friday because of a weather delay and had to return before sun up to complete four holes before turning her focus to the third round.

23-year-old Liu had few expectations playing her first U.S. Women's Open and fell five shots off the lead with a bogey on No. 3. But Liu had six birdies the rest of the way and will play the final group with one of her best friends on tour.

"We probably won't talk much," she said with a laugh.

Thompson, who tied for fifth in this event last year, looked like she was fading with consecutive bogeys on the 10th and 11th holes to fall five shots behind. She rallied by reaching the par-5 15th in two and making a 30-foot putt for eagle. Her approach on the next hole landed five feet away for a birdie that left her a stroke in back.

Thompson has 11 top 10s in majors since her lone victory in the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship, now called the ANA Inspiration. She said staying calm after the back-nine bogeys helped her stay in contention. "It's tough not to let it get to you, but at a tournament like this, you can't," she said.

Jessica Korda was a shot off the lead when the round began, but fell three shots back after a 72.