Hee Young Yang, 34, moved into a share of the lead after the third round of the CME Group Tour Championship ($7 million purse), the season finale on the U.S. Women’s Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour.
Yang carded eight birdies and no bogeys for an 8-under 64 on the third day of play at the par-72 Tiburon Golf Club Gold Course in Naples, Florida, USA.
With a midday total of 21-under par 195, Yang is tied for the lead with Nasa Hataoka (JPN).
After starting the first round in a tie for 13th place, Yang shot a 9-under-par second round to move into a tie for third place and then added an 8-under-par third round to move into the lead.
After finishing in a tie for fourth place at the Anika Driven last week, Yang will be looking to carry her momentum into the final event of the season.
Yang has four career wins on the LPGA Tour, with her last victory coming at the Honda Thailand in February 2019. A win would give her five career victories in four years and nine months.
Yang, whose previous victories came on the “Asian Swing” in South Korea and Thailand (three wins), has a chance to win a tournament on the U.S. mainland for the first time in her 15-year LPGA Tour career.
Yang continued her hot streak in the second round, shaving nine strokes off her back nine. 아톰카지노 도메인
She made her first birdie on No. 1 (par-5), followed by back-to-back birdies on No. 5 (par-3) and No. 6 (par-5), and dropped another shot on No. 8 (par-3).
In the second round, he birdied the 13th (par-4), then reeled off three straight birdies through the 15th (par-4) before adding a birdie at the 17th (par-5) to finish tied for the lead.
Hataoka, who was tied for the lead in the second round, added another seven strokes to her total on the day. Hataoka will be looking for her seventh career victory on Tour.
Behind Yang and Hataoka, Korean-American Alison Lee is tied for third at 18-under 195. She is three strokes off the lead.
Lin Shiyu (CHN) is tied for fourth at 17-under 199, while Yin Luning (CHN) and Lee Minjee (AUS) are tied for fifth at 16-under 200.
Kim Hyo-joo (28-LOTTE) and Kim Ah-rim (27-HANWHA Q CELLS) are tied for 17th at 10-under par 206.
Kim, who will look to regain the top spot on the leaderboard in the final round, is four strokes behind Ataya Thittitjerin (Thailand – 14-under 202) and will need to overtake Thittitjerin on the final day to claim the lowest score.
Rookie of the Year Hae-ran Hae (22-DAOL Financial Group) is tied for 41st with a 5-under 211 total, while Jin-young Ko (28-Solare), who entered the tournament with a knee injury, eventually withdrew.