Angel Yin was making putts from throughout the inexperienced and threatening to construct a giant lead till Jeeno Thitikul completed eagle-birdie for a 9-under 63 to share the lead Saturday going into the ultimate spherical of the CME Group Tour Championship with $4 million on the road.
Yin had a 69 after one other day of huge putts and one chip-in from some 60 toes for an eagle on the par-5 sixth gap that put her comfortably forward at Tiburon Golf Membership.
She holed a 30-footer on the eighth gap, one other birdie from about 25 toes on the ninth gap and one other one from the 30-foot vary on the twelfth.
Thitikul gave the impression to be an afterthought till she lit it up on the again 9 for a 30. The Thai began the again 9 with three straight bogeys, however she made up fast floor on the finish along with her eagle on the reachable par-5 seventeenth and a birdie on the closing gap.
The birdie briefly gave her the lead till Yin made birdie on the seventeenth to affix her. They had been tied at 15-under 201, three pictures forward of Ruoning Yin, who birdied her final two for a 66.
Charley Hull had seven birdies in her spherical of 66 and was at 11-under 205, together with Narin An of South Korea.
Nelly Korda, who acquired again into the combination on Friday after a sluggish begin, misplaced floor with a 69 on a pleasing day that left her six pictures again going into the ultimate spherical. Korda has received 4 of her seven LPGA titles this 12 months coming from behind. This may very well be a tall order.
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At stake is the richest payoff in ladies’s golf, $4 million to the winner, practically as a lot as Korda has made all 12 months in her seven-victory season.
Thitikul already picked up a $1 million bonus this week by means of the Aon Threat-Reward Problem, a contest primarily based on how gamers rating on a chosen gap every week. Now she may go away Florida with a complete of $5 million.
“Really, $1 million is de facto adequate for me,” Thitikul mentioned.
“If I can get extra, it’s undoubtedly going to be good, as a result of as my group know I spend some huge cash. That’s why I’ve to maintain taking part in good golf, like spending on purchasing day,” she added.
Angel Yin heard loads of cheers for her lengthy birdie putts and the chip-in for eagle. She additionally was helped by a few pars after dangerous drives. She went effectively to the left at No. 10, did effectively to blast out on a blind shot simply in need of the inexperienced after which acquired up and down with a pitch to 4 toes.
After which on the thirteenth, one other tee shot went effectively to the left. She tried to get it again in play from simply in entrance of some bushes and from 50 yards hit a wedge to about 15 toes. She holed that putt, too, that saved her in entrance.
“I’m scoring nonetheless,” Yin mentioned. “Making some errors, however saving a bunch, so a number of positives.”