An unseasonably cool day accompanied by strong southwesterly gusts whipped across the Royal Adelaide layout and Oh handled the conditions better than anyone.

The 20-year-old – who is yet to win on the LPGA Tour but won the Australian Ladies Masters in 2015 – maintained her composure in the strong winds with a combination of rhythmic swinging and a strong mental game.

Now, with 18 holes to play and two shots from the lead, she is prepared to fight for her first Patricia Bridges Bowl.

“It’s my national title and I really want to fight for it,” the Australian Olympian said. “It’s going to be tough but it would really mean a lot.”

Oh, who is playing in her ninth Australian Open, has been preparing for this championship since December when she travelled to Adelaide to play a practice round at the famed Seaton layout.

“I actually wanted to come twice but didn’t get a chance. I was planning to go to Dallas in the off-season (to see her coach, Cameron McCormick) – so I wanted to know the course and prepare for the course … just knowing what shots I’d need to hit to the greens,” Oh said.

The preparation has certainly paid off. Oh’s 67 included seven birdies and for the second consecutive day she negotiated the round with just 26 putts.

RIGHT: Lizetta Salas will take a two-stroke lead into the final round of the Women's Australian Open at Royal Adelaide. PHOTO: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images.

Oh will head out in the last group in the final round alongside 54-hole leader, American Lizette Salas.

Salas started the third round at eight under and had two bogies and a birdie in her first four holes. She settled into her round and after nine straight pars the World No.68 birdied the par-4 14th. She then birdied both of the par-5s – the 15th and 17th – to advance to 10 under and two clear of Oh, Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum and Queensland’s Sarah-Jane Smith.

Salas has never won outside of the United States and she is keen to do so in front of her father this week.

“It would be such an honour (to win) – it would be my first win overseas,” Salas said. “It would be my first win with my Dad here … so it would mean a lot.”

World No.44 Phatlum held the lead briefly in the afternoon before making three consecutive bogies starting at the 12th hole. She did grab one shot back at the par-5 17th before signing for an even par round of 73.

Sarah-Jane Smith remains in contention despite a third round 74. PHOTO: Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images.

Smith, who led through 36 holes, is still in the hunt after grinding out a one over 74. Her day didn’t start well when her approach to the 1st green flew long and she couldn’t scramble to save her par. However, she rallied and found birdies at 3, 15 and 17 before a closing bogey dropped her back to eight under.

Smith said she felt the pressure walking up the last and couldn’t make par.

“I was a little nervous coming up 18, which was unusual,” Smith said. “But I guess it’s pretty big circumstances for me, so it was understandable.”

THIRD ROUND LEADERBOARD

Conversely, Smith’s playing partner – Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall – looked nervous early in the day, and collapsed after slicing her tee shot into the pine trees at the par-4 3rd. When a search party couldn’t find her ball she was forced to hit another drive and had to settle for a double bogey. The 27-year-old, who started the round one off the lead, fought hard but signed for a four over 77 and is now in a tie for 14th.

Earlier in the day, World No.8 Brooke Henderson played alone as the first player out, with only her sister-caddie for company.

The Canadian struggled on the greens – with 31 putts – and could only manage to make birdie once in an even par round of 73. She heads into the final round 10 shots back, but won’t playing alone on Sunday.

“I’m happy with my round today,” Henderson said. “(But) I’d have liked a few more birdies and maybe climbed up the leaderboard a little more.”

While World No.1 Lydia Ko – who also tackled the morning’s gusts well – is still looking to find consistency with her new clubs and caddie. The Kiwi (pictured right) was playing solidly from tee to green with her all-black clubs but she, too, struggled to make birdies. Ko scrambled well to save her par on the 5th hole but pulled her tee shot into a fairway bunker on the par-4 6th. The 19-year-old was forced to lay up before narrowly missing a 12-foot par saver – the resulting bogey took her back to even par for the tournament. A birdie at 13 was followed by a bogey at 16, and Ko joined Henderson in signing for an even 73 and a share of 35th.

“Hopefully I’m just saving it up for tomorrow – I’ve got one day to go and I think there are so many good things that are going right that hopefully it’ll all be able to come together,” Ko said.

Defending champion Haru Nomura started her third round strongly with three birdies in her first six holes. The World No.21 has 26 putts on her way to a four under 69 – the second best score of the day behind Oh – and is tied seventh final round.

Queensland’s Katherine Kirk – the first round leader – struggled in the strong gusts and slipped to tied 35th after carding a seven over 80.