Choi has strong start at LPGA South Korea to move into a tie for 2nd place after 3 rounds

HAENAM, South Korea (AP) — Hye-Jin Choi had an eagle and seven birdies on her first 11 holes Saturday on a rain-soaked Pine Beach Golf Links to shoot a 6-under 66 and move into a tie for second place after three rounds of the LPGA South Korea tournament.

Second-round leader Haeran Ryu, who birdied her last three holes, still led the tournament by four strokes after a 4-under 68 and a three-round total of 17-under 199.

Choi shot 28 on her front nine and was 9-under before she bogeyed the par-5 12th after hitting into a fairway bunker. She made a double-bogey seven on the 17th after missing an eight-foot par putt after hitting into hazard off the green with her fairway wood.

“I had a really good score on the front nine. I felt good about my ball-striking early on, so I was able to play confidently and make a lot of birdie putts, which helped,” Choi said. “I’m a little disappointed with how I played on the back nine.”

Steady rain forced course officials to use roller squeegees to remove water from the greens. Most of the final groups took six hours to complete their rounds.

Minji Park shot 65 and was also tied for second with Choi and Yuri Yoshida (68).

Choi is still looking for her first victory in 125 career LPGA Tour starts as a member. She has held or shared a 54-hole lead five times in her LPGA career without converting it into a win.

Last week in Shanghai, Choi was runner-up by one stroke to China’s Ruoning Yin after the South Korean golfer led after each of the first three rounds.

Defending champion Sei Young Kim, who ended a five-year victory drought in 2025 with a win last year in South Korea, shot 77 Saturday and was at even par.

In its late-season Asian swing, the LPGA Tour moves to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia next week for the Maybank Championship, the third of four events.

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