Choi Na-yeon had a hole-in-one in a three-under 68 to build a five-shot lead, before Christina Kim made a late charge to pull within a stroke in the Jamie Farr Owens Corning Classic on Saturday.
Choi, pursuing her third career US LPGA Tour win, aced the eighth hole, dunking a nine-iron directly into the cup. She was five shots ahead and appeared to be close to pulling away for her third Tour victory.
“It didn’t bounce. It just slam dunked,” she said of her first Tour ace. “After that, I fixed the cup.”
She had two more birdies, before things began to unravel somewhat.
Choi bogeyed 14 and 15, while Kim came roaring back. Playing in the next-to-last foursome, Kim had a birdie at the 15th to cut the gap to two shots and then rolled in another on the closing hole.
One of the Tour’s characters, Kim, who finished off a 67, professed to not having any idea how far she was behind.
“On 12 I was five back? I really didn’t even notice,” she said. “My only thing was trying to get that damn ball in the hole.”
Choi has been down this road before.
The South Korean had a seven-shot lead at the Samsung World Championship in September last year in the final round, lost it, then birdied the final hole for her first win.
Speaking through interpreter, good friend and playing partner Park In-bee, Choi said that victory would help in the final round.
“That definitely helped me,” she said. “The Samsung World Championship was the first win for me. It was really tough to get the first win.”
Kim loves the spotlight and was one of the emotional leaders of the victorious US team in the Solheim Cup last autumn. She wasn’t bothered when she heard on the course that Choi had made a hole-in-one.
“After Na-yeon made the ace, I was kind of like: ‘All right. OK. That’s awesome, but let’s just focus on trying to make your own putts now,’” Kim said.
Choi has led throughout the tournament, taking a one-shot lead after an opening 64, then going up two after a second-round 67.
Her nickname on Tour is based on her initials. Her peers call her “NYC” or “Big Apple.” She even wore a spangled, sequined belt buckle on Saturday that bore her initials.
“I have been just one time, a couple of months ago,” she said. “It’s like Seoul in South Korea.”
Katherine Hull (65), Kristy McPherson (67) and Park (70) were 10-under, while Kim Song-hee (68) and Azahara Munoz (66) were another shot back.
Taiwan’s Candie Kung shot a 71 for a two-under total, while compatriot Amy Hung carded a 73 to lie a further shot back.
Choi said she tried not to look at the leaderboard on the course.
“I didn’t even know I had a five-shot lead during the round,” she said. “I just focused on my game. I just made a couple bogeys coming in, just a couple of bad holes. I’ll concentrate on my game and play better tomorrow.”
Additional reporting by Staff Writer
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