The 26-year-old from New Zealand is seeking her 20th career victory and first since the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in 2022. A win would also leave Ko one victory short of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
On the heels of a flawless second-round 67, Ko went bogey-free for the second consecutive day at Lake Nona in chilly-for-Florida conditions, getting to 12 under. It helps that she lives on the course and has played it in nearly every type of weather.
Her closest pursuer is 19-year-old second-year pro Alexa Pano, who struggled at times from tee to green but exhibited a crisp short game to stay close to the lead in the elite field of LPGA winners from the past two years.
Pano shot 67, the day's second-best round. US Solheim Cup player Ally Ewing (68) was alone in third, four shots back. Scotland's Gemma Dryburgh (71), Mexico's Gaby Lopez (71) - a former TOC champion - and Japan's Ayaka Furue (73) will start Sunday five shots behind.
Australia's Grace Kim shot at two-over 75 to be one under and tied 27th in the 35-player field.
Ko won three times in 2022 but was winless last year. In 20 starts, she had only two top-10 finishes, and she didn't even qualify to defend her Tour Championship title.
Success, and winning, seemed a distant memory that was fading quickly.
"It's crazy, because when you're not performing well you wonder if you're ever going to perform well," Ko said.
"It's not just one round, but they keep adding up. As much as sometimes you try and brush it off and say it's only golf ... like, I dream about golf. I dream about missing my tee time. That's how much golf is — knock on wood that never happens — but that's how much it means to me."
