Australia’s Minjee Lee must recreate one in every of her personal slice’s of historical past to drag off a 3rd main triumph as Korea’s Ryu Hae-ran and Japan’s Mao Saigo lead the Chevron Championship after the third spherical.
Lee remained at -4 for the match, 5 pictures again from the leaders in a share of fifteenth, after a good par spherical of 72 that included a powerful fightback.
The 28-year-old slipped with a double bogey on the fifth however responded with a birdie on the seventh, though that was off set by one other dropped shot on the very subsequent gap.
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She clawed her manner again up the leaderboard with two birdies, together with one from the perimeter on the final, in a bogey free again 9, nonetheless.
The most important closing spherical comeback in LPGA main historical past is seven pictures, which Lee accomplished on the 2021 Amundi Evian Championship to hitch the good Australian Karrie Webb (2006 Chevron Championship) in addition to Patty Sheehan (1983 LPGA Championship) to have lifted a trophy after beginning the final day that far again.
The reminiscences of that closing spherical 64 and playoff triumph in France will little question spur Lee on, in the meantime Gabriela Ruffels was the massive mover among the many Australian contingent on Saturday.
Ruffels went bogey free in a spherical of 70 to maneuver to E total and a share of thirty first.
Steph Kyriacou three of her 5 ending holes to get better to a spherical of 73 and +2 for the match, the identical rating debutant Cassie Porter sits on after she too shot 73.
Grace Kim had a day to neglect in the meantime, falling to +5 total with a spherical of 77 that was massively hindered by a quadruple bogey on the par 3 third.
Ryu fired a four-under par 68 and Saigo shot 69 to go away every -9 after 54 holes at Carlton Woods within the yr’s first main ladies’s match.
“One other good day,” Ryu stated. “I used to be simply making an attempt for the nice spots, for the straightforward putts, and I needed to attempt to make some birdies. That was good for me.” American Lindy Duncan was third on 208 with American Sarah Schmelzel and China’s Liu Yan on 209.
After a bogey on the third gap and a birdie on the par-five fourth, Ryu reeled off 4 birdies to shut the entrance 9, the final a spectacular chip-in from properly off the entrance of the inexperienced.
“I simply suppose, wow, it’s superb,” stated Ryu, who parred her manner by the again 9.
Saigo, nonetheless, was to not be outdone. She made a birdie on the par-three third, took a bogey on the fifth, answered with birdies on the sixth and par-five eighth after which holed out from the perimeter on the par-five thirteenth to achieve nine-under.
“The course situation was fairly arduous. It was fairly tough to make birdies so I form of struggled,” Saigo stated. “Two of them had been chip-in birdies from outdoors, so I used to be fairly fortunate.” Each co-leaders are chasing their first main title.
“I believe that’s a superb strain for me,” Ryu stated. “I don’t have a significant trophy in my house, in order that’s a aim for my life and in golf.” Saigo added, “I simply must give attention to my golf sport (and) attempt to management my psychological management and hopefully I’ll win.” Ryu led by a stroke coming into final yr’s closing spherical however shot 74 and completed fifth.
“Final yr the ultimate spherical for me was not good,” Ryu stated. “However I realized to be extra calm and extra comfy and extra gradual. This yr I want to be extra having fun with the course.” Liu shared the lead at nine-under till a stumble on the par-three seventeenth, the place she discovered a bunker, then chipped into sloped tough simply above the bunker on the best way to a double bogey.
Winds examined gamers within the late afternoon.
“The entrance 9 was so good for me,” she stated. “The again 9 was such a problem for me as a result of the wind began to be stronger and the pins had been so powerful.” “Undoubtedly examined my endurance on the market,” Schmelzel stated. “I’m positive there will probably be extra of that tomorrow.”