Kim Hyoju "Leading on Second Day of Sponsor Tournament"... Shibuno and Brianna Also Tied for 2nd, 3 Strokes Behind

Lotte Championship Day 3 Even Par 'Breather', Lee So-mi Tied 4th, Choi Hye-jin and An Na-rin Tied 8th

Kim Hyo-joo is making a chip shot on the 8th hole on the third day of the Lotte Championship. Photo by Daehong Communications

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] Kim Hyo-joo (27, Lotte), ranked 13th in the world, maintained her lead in the tournament sponsored by her sponsor.

On the 16th (Korean time), at the Hoakalei Golf Club (par 72, 6,603 yards) on Oahu Island, Hawaii, USA, during the third day of the LPGA Tour Lotte Championship (total prize money $2 million), she did not reduce her score but held the top of the leaderboard (10 under par 206). Brianna Do (USA) and Hinako Shibuno (Japan) are tied for 2nd place (7 under par 209), and So-mi Lee (23, SBI Savings Bank) and Stephanie Meadow (England) are tied for 4th place (6 under par 210).

Kim Hyo-joo started with a 3-stroke lead and exchanged 2 birdies for 2 bogeys. She maintained par for the first 6 holes but was halted by a bogey on the 7th hole (par 4). In the back nine, after a bogey on the 12th hole (par 3), she made birdies on the 14th hole (par 4) and the 18th hole (par 5) to finish even par. Her long drives averaging 275 yards stood out, but her green hit rate of 66.67% held her back. She holds a 3-stroke lead and has a chance for her 5th career win, her first in 11 months since winning the HSBC Women's World Championship last May.

Brianna Do joined the competition for the win by collecting 6 birdies (1 bogey). She debuted in 2013 but has yet to win. Ranked 510th in the world, her best personal result was 15th at the 2018 Indy Women in Tech Championship. Ariya Jutanugarn (Thailand) is tied for 6th (5 under par 211), Sarah Kemp (Australia) tied for 21st (1 under par 215), and Chevron Champion Jennifer Kupcho (USA) and defending champion Lydia Ko (New Zealand) are tied for 33rd (1 over par 217).

Lee So-mi is smiling brightly with her caddy after finishing the 8th hole in par on the third day of the Lotte Championship. Photo by Daehong Planning

In Korea, So-mi Lee, a 'KLPGA member' invited as a non-member, added 3 under par to jump to a tie for 4th place. She is only 4 strokes behind the leader, a position from which she can aim for a non-member victory. Choi Hye-jin (23, Lotte) did not reduce her score with 2 birdies and 2 bogeys. Along with Anna Lin (26, Mediheal), they are tied for 8th place (4 under par 212). Jeon In-ji (28, KB Financial Group) is tied for 12th (3 under par 213), and Choi Woon-jung (32, Volvik) is tied for 15th (2 under par 214).

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.