Japanese rookie Hinako Shibuno shot a 5-under-par 67 in the third round of the Women's British Open on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead into the last day of the year's final major.

Shibuno bounced back from two front-nine bogeys with six birdies after the turn at Woburn Golf Club to take the 54-hole lead at her first tournament outside of Japan.

The 20-year-old rookie sits atop the leaderboard at 14-under, two shots ahead of South Africa's Ashleigh Buhai who lost her overnight lead after canceling out three birdies with three bogeys for even par Saturday round.

"Honestly, I didn't expect to make it this far," said Shibuno, who has a chance to become only the second Japanese golfer to win a major on the PGA or LPGA tours.

"I have to aim for the title in this position. I want to stay aggressive until the end and get a lot of birdies."

Dubbed the "Smiling Angel" by Japanese media for her beaming visage, Shibuno picked up her first two wins, including a major, on the LPGA of Japan Tour this year.

She faces stiff competition heading into Sunday's final round from South Korean pair Park Sung Hyun and Ko Jin Young, who trail Shibuno at 11-under and 10-under, respectively.

Park is seeking her third major title, while Ko is looking to become one of a handful of golfers to win three majors in the same year.

Among other Japanese, Sakura Yokomine vaulted up the leaderboard with a bogey-free 67 and is tied for 14th at 6-under. The 33-year-old sunk four close-range birdies before landing a 174-yard shot from the 18th fairway in front of the pin.

"It's been a long time since I've played golf this good," Yokomine said. "I'm really happy I didn't hook any shots. The top-10 is in sight."

Eighteen-year-old amateur Yuka Yasuda is at 3-under, followed by Minami Katsu and Ayako Uehara at 2-under. Momoko Ueda remains at even par.