South Korea’s Ji Young Park will take a one-shot lead into the final round of the Hana Financial Group Singapore Women’s Open after firing a five-under-par 67 on Saturday.
Ji Young, seeking her fifth victory on the KLPGA Tour, took advantage of the ideal scoring conditions in the morning as she went around Tampines Course at the Tanah Merah Country
Club carding five birdies.
Starting from the 10th tee, the world number 72 picked up shots on holes 14 and 17 to turn in 34 before rattling off three straight birdies from hole 3 to seize the top spot.
Ji Young finished the day on 11-under-par 133 to hold a slender lead over Jung Min Hong, So Young Lee, who carded matching 66s, and Hyun Kyung Park who carded 69. All three are tied in second position.
Yun Ji Jeong posted a 70 to be one shot back in lone fifth, with So Mi Lee (69), Hee Jeong Lim (69) and Hae Rym Kim (69) sharing sixth on 136.
“I didn’t strike the ball too well today, but my putting has made up for it,” said Park (Ji Young), who won the Mediheal-Hankook Ilbo Championship in April.
“Since I finished my round early today, I’ll put in extra hours at the driving range to fix my shot. I don’t have a number (to shoot) in mind, but hopefully I can go low again like the last two days. There are many good competitors in the field, all I can do is focus on my own game.”
Pre-tournament favourites world number three Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand and world number 14 Min Ji Park kept themselves on the fringe of contention by posting 68 and 69 respectively to sit in a seven-way tie for ninth on 137.
Singapore’s Koh Sock Hwee and amateur Shannon Tan both made the halfway cut which was set on even-par 144.
Tan had a run of good form, scoring five-under-par 67 for the day. “I went into today’s round with the game plan of trying to hit the green and then making the putt. I took it one at a time and was definitely more aggressive today than yesterday, making the best of every opportunity,” said Tan.
