KLPGA player Jin Young Ko, who is perhaps best known for her runner-up spot at the 2015 Ricoh Women's British Open, stole the limelight from some of the biggest names in women’s golf at the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship on Saturday, firing a flawless six-under-par 66 to surge two strokes clear of the field.
Ko racked up six birdies on the Ocean Course, including two in her last three holes, to post a 15-under total of 201 on a sunny and breezy day at SKY72 Golf & Resort but she has two of the most popular figures in Korean golf in hot pursuit.
World No. 2 Sung Hyun Park, who has a mathematical chance of taking over at the top of the Rolex Rankings should she win on Sunday, carded a third-round 68 to finish at 13-under, level with World No. 7 In Gee Chun, who also returned a 68.
"My iron shots today were really strong so I was able to make a lot of birdie chances for myself," said Ko, a nine-time winner on the local KLPGA Tour. "Although I'm in the lead, and I'm leading by two strokes, there are a lot great players out there in the field. Tomorrow I would have to really focus and concentrate. At the same time, I haven't seen some of those players for a while so it will be a lot of fun to play with them."
Park, hunting her third LPGA Tour victory of the year, played solid golf for most of the day with five birdies and a sole bogey in her first 17 holes and did well to salvage a par at the last after pushing her drive way right into a hazard and having to take a penalty drop.
"The last hole will be etched in my memory for quite some time," said Park, who is runaway leader in the race for the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year award. "I'm happy that I managed to finish well. Overall, I'm quite pleased with my game today. I finished 4-under on the front nine. I thought I would keep the momentum on the back nine, but my putting was a little bit off compared to the front nine."
Brooke Henderson, one of the players to watch this week after her five-stroke victory at the MCKAYSON New Zealand Women’s Open earlier this month, moved into contention with a bogey-free 68 to end the day in a tie for eighth, five strokes off the lead.
"I hit the ball really well," said Henderson. "The last few days I've been ball-striking extremely well, which is giving me a lot of great opportunities for birdie. I've been able to capitalize quite a bit. Today making four birdies and no bogeys is huge around this golf course. If you can just eliminate bogeys and try to hit your approach shots to certain parts of the green, that's kind of my game plan going into tomorrow, and hopefully it works out."
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