KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Hoping to keep up the lead he has held for the reason that opening spherical and earn his first victory on the LPGA Tour, Choi Hye-jin shot a 5-under 67 on Saturday and can head into the ultimate spherical of the Maybank Championship with a four-stroke benefit.
Choi, who performed as a member of the Korean staff in final week’s Worldwide Crown, performed 54 holes at Kuala Lumpur’s Golf & Nation Membership course, scoring a complete of 19 below par and 197. She began the day with a five-shot lead.
Choi, 26, has completed within the high 10 28 instances in her profession and was runner-up on the 2017 U.S. Girls’s Open as a 17-year-old newbie.
It was the primary time in her profession that she led after the primary three rounds of play, and the third time she led the match heading into the ultimate spherical. The final two instances they completed as runners-up.
Choi stated, “I have been ready for a extremely very long time, so I’ll do my finest tomorrow.” “I believe it seems like I am dwelling a dream and I simply think about it. I am simply on the lookout for a win tomorrow.”
China’s Liu Yan (65) completed second after a bogey-free spherical, whereas Hannah Inexperienced, a part of the Australian staff that gained final weekend’s Worldwide Crown, shot a 67 to take third place, 4 strokes behind Choi.
Lim Kim shot a 64 to tie for fourth place, six strokes behind the chief. Kim’s spherical included an eagle on the 18th and 6 birdies.
“It was a terrific shot, however it was an unlikely one,” Kim stated of her 25-foot eagle putt on the 18th. She began the spherical with 4 birdies in 5 holes.
World No. 1 Gino Titikul, who was runner-up in Malaysia the previous two years, additionally shot a 65 to tie for fourth place. She took the bar on the final three holes Saturday.
“I do not know what is going on on, however it’s an excellent factor,” Titicle stated. She praised the help of the numerous followers within the gallery and stated once more that the venue was like a “mini tie” for her.
Defending champion Ying Ruoning shot a 69 and tied with New Zealand’s Lydia Ko (68) for seventh place, seven strokes behind Choi. Brooke Hendeson shot a 68 and was 11 strokes again.
Subsequent week, the LPGA concludes its five-week Asian swing with the Japan Traditional in Shiga.
