HENDERSON SETTLES FOR ONE-SHOT LEAD IN HAWAII
>> KAPOLEI: Brooke Henderson kept giving herself chances to run away from the field on Friday at the Lotte Championship.
Instead, she had to be satisfied with barely hanging onto the lead.
After two nearly flawless, bogey-free days at windy Ko Olina Golf Club, the 20-yearold Canadian looked all too human in a frustrating third round that saw the wind switch directions.
Then again, so did nearly every other player.
Henderson will take a one-stroke advantage over 2014 Women’s British Open champ Mo Martin, whose eagle on the 13th kept her at even-par for the day, into the final round.
The leader was three over on the final three holes, four-putting the 16th for double-bogey. Henderson, who has already won five times on the LPGA Tour, finished with a one-over 73 that left her at nine under.
She led by five early on the back nine, but 35 putts — she needed just 50 the first two days combined — had her trying to focus on the fact she still led at all.
“I’ve been kind of struggling with my putting all year,” Henderson acknowledged. “The first few rounds I had it going and I felt confident with it; then on the back nine I just kept missing. I just felt like that every single putt and kind of got a little bit down. That’s always a terrible way to be, especially when you’re still leading the tournament.”
Japan’s Nasa Hataoka, who is a year younger than Henderson, had a 68 to climb into a tie for third with Korean third-ranked Park In-Bee on seven under.
Hataoka won the 2016 Japan Women’s Open Championship, becoming the first amateur to win a Japan LPGA major. On Friday, she was one of the few to go low at Ko Olina, putting for eagle three times.
“The wind was totally the opposite. It was really confusing,” said Park, who shot 71. “Some holes I was going into the wind I couldn’t really judge the distances. I don’t think I ever played this wind before on this course in five, six years.”
Even top-ranked Feng Shanshan struggled. Her 74 was only her second overpar round of the year. She shares fifth with Lizette Salas, three back of Henderson. Salas shot 70 despite breaking her driver on the second hole.
Daniela Iacobelli and Pernilla Lindberg, fresh off a major victory at the ANA Inspiration, share seventh at five under. Qualifier Julieta Granada and second-year player Chieng Peiyun, from Taiwan, shot 67 — low round of the day — to join a group of six, including Jutanugarn sisters Ariya (70) and Moriya (72), another shot back.