MENLO PARK, Calif. — Hyo-joo Kim stalled after taking part in the primary six holes at tree-lined Sharon Heights on Saturday at 6 below, falling 5 photographs behind Nelly Korda within the remaining rounds of the Fortinet Founders Cup.
Kim, a 30-year-old South Korean participant ranked eighth on this planet, shot a 6-under 66, bettering his whole to 17-under 199. She gained the event in Phoenix in 2015, her second of seven LPGA Tour wins.
Kim mentioned, “Now that I am within the lead, I need to end nicely tomorrow.”
Coming into the day with a four-shot lead, she had 4 birdies and an eagle on the par-5 opening gap, however ended with a bogey on the par-5 seventh.
“I believe it was unbelievable golf to start out till the sixth gap, it’s unbelievable,” Kim mentioned. “I received numerous birdies and eagles, however I additionally had a couple of bogeys that I should not have made. It virtually felt like a sport at the beginning.”
Kim opened with birdie, bogey, bogey, birdie on the again 9, then birdied the par-4 sixteenth gap to get again to 17 below. She left a 15-foot birdie try a foot brief on the par-3 seventeenth, however drove into the left tough on the par-5 18th for par.
Korda had birdies on 16 and 18 and shot a bogey-free 66. She skipped the Asian swing after profitable the opening spherical in Florida.
“It is good to have a clear scorecard regardless of the place you play,” Korda mentioned. “It would not matter. As troublesome as it’s to get from the tee to the inexperienced, I am actually proud of at present’s spherical.”
On Thursday, Kim holed out for eagle at eight for a 63 and a two-shot lead. He shot a 70 on Friday, pushing his benefit to 4. She completed third in a tie final month and would be the defending champion in Arizona subsequent week.
Liu Ruixin (China) and Gaby Lopez (Mexico) had been 11 below. Ryu made his fifth eagle with a 66, and Lopez tied Kim with a 68.
Chief Gino Titikul (69) is at 9 below par, tied with Erika Hara (67), Caris Davidson (69), and Choi Hye-jin (69).
The event started in honor of the 13 founders of the LPGA. It started in Arizona in 2011 and was held in Florida final yr for the second event of the season. The event will function eight of the highest 10 gamers on this planet rankings and can start a run of 4 consecutive tournaments within the West forward of the yr’s first main event.
