South Korea’s Sei Young Kim endured a rough back nine with four consecutive bogeys on Saturday but retained her lead after three rounds at the JM Eagle LA Championship in Tarzana, Calif.
Ranked No. 10 in the world, Kim had a one-shot lead entering the day and expanded that to two strokes with a 1-under-par 71 to move to 15-under 201 at El Caballero Country Club.
“Oh, wow, it’s feel like, yeah, roller coaster,” Kim said of her round. “I didn’t know still two-shot lead until the last hole. Yeah, after finish I look at the scoreboard and I still (hold a) two-shot lead. OK, one more day. Yeah, I’m going better tomorrow.”
Four players are tied for second at 13 under: Australia’s Hannah Green (5-under 67 on Saturday), Thailand’s Suvichaya Vinijchaitham (67), South Korea’s Ina Yoon (71) and Jessica Porvasnik (68).
Kim shot a blistering 31 on the front nine with five birdies (Nos. 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9) and four pars to get to 19 under for the tournament. The back nine, however, was a different story with four pars followed by bogeys at Nos. 14, 15, 16 and 17 before a par on No. 18 for 40.
Kim had carded one bogey in a first-round 65 and followed with a bogey-free 65 on Friday.
She hit seven of 14 fairways on Saturday and 13 of 18 greens in regulation while totaling 28 putts.
“I don’t know forget about (the third round) because I want to keep thinking and then I want to why, why, why, why. I don’t want to make (it) happen again,” Kim said. “But it’s golf. It can be happen again. It’s learn and then learn and learn. Mistake and then learn, yeah. Hopefully, success (at the) end of the day tomorrow.”
Green’s adventurous 67 featured seven birdies and two bogeys. Vinijchaitham made eagle on the par-5 16th hole, and also have five birdies and two bogeys.
Yoon recorded four birdies and three bogeys, while Porvasnik carded seven birdies — including each of the last three holes — to counter a double bogey on the par-3 No. 9 and a bogey at the par-3 No. 15.
“I felt like I was playing pretty well,” Porvasnik said. “Had a hiccup on nine and just kind of kept grinding. Knew that just stay patient out there. It’s playing tough. To have the three birdies to close was just really nice.”
Kim, 33, owns 13 career LPGA victories, but just one in the past six years, at the BMW Ladies Championship last October.
Japan’s Chizzy Iwai had led after a course-record-tying 63 on Thursday, then carded a 68 on Friday to get to 13 under. She carded a 3-over 75 on Saturday to fall to 10 under and a tie for 10th.
Iwai made just one birdie, at the par-4 No. 13, and lost ground with bogeys at Nos. 2, 7, 17 and 18.
