San Antonio Express-News (Sunday)
Chun’s lead cut to three at Women’s PGA
BETHESDA, Md. — This was the moment the rest of the field needed: In Gee Chun standing near the trees, contemplating her situation and then eventually heading back to the point of her previous shot.
A shaky third round cut her lead at the Women’s PGA Championship in half.
Chun shot a 3-over 75 on Saturday, leaving her three strokes ahead going into the final round at Congressional Country Club. On a day the leaders had plenty of trouble, Chun was holding her own until she made a double bogey on the par-5 16th hole.
“Looking forward to an exciting final round already,” she said. “If it’s going to be too easy, then I feel it is boring.”
It looked like the final round might be boring — or at least anticlimactic — as Chun maintained a comfortable lead through much of Saturday. She bogeyed Nos. 1 and 11 but birdied 2 and 12. Her lead was at five when she had to play her third shot from some tall grass on the 564-yard 16th.
That shot put her in even more trouble, in an area with tall grass and some trees. She took an unplayable lie and went back to the previous spot to re-hit.
An 8-iron from there went over the green, but Chun did manage to get up and down for a 7. The two-time major champion from South Korea led by five shots after the first round and six at the halfway point. After the third round, she had an 8-under 208 total.
Lydia Ko (76) and Jennifer Kupcho (74) — Chun’s playing partners — had their own problems, but Lexi Thompson and Hye-Jin Choi both shot 70 and were tied for second with Sei Young Kim (71) at 5 under.
Thompson will play in the final group as she tries for her first major victory since 2014.
“You always want to be in the final group in any tournament,” she said. “I love that the hard work has been able to pay off for me. I’ve been putting in the time, so to see it pay off and pay dividends means the world to me.”
Ko wasn’t able to take advantage of Chun’s struggles.
She bogeyed four of five holes during one stretch on the front nine, then birdied four of the next seven. She wrapped up the round with four straight bogeys.
Kupcho had three birdies
and three bogeys in the first seven holes and couldn’t gain much ground on the leader.
Kim, who won this event two years ago, had a comparatively drama-free round with two birdies and a bogey. Choi shot 34 on the back nine while playing in a group with Thompson. They’ll be together again Sunday.
“It was the first time playing with her, and I actually watched her as a fan when I was an amateur,“Choi said. “It was a good experience to play with her. Of course, I tried to focus on my game.”
Thompson made three birdies on the back nine, including
a putt from about 30 feet on No. 15. She has 11 LPGA Tour victories but none since 2019. She’s played her way into contention after a first-round 74.
Thompson finished second at Crown Colony in February and at Upper Montclair last month.
“I know I’m in a good state with my game and just my mental state, so going out tomorrow enjoying the walk with my caddie and hopefully a lot of fans out there supporting us,“she said. “Whatever score I shoot, I shoot.”
Hannah Green (72) was fifth at 4 under, a stroke ahead of Atthaya Thitikul (68), who was so far behind at the start of the day she was in one of the groups sent off on No. 10. Brooke Henderson (73), Kupcho and Jennifer Chang (73) were
tied for sixth with Thitikul.
Haotong up 3 shots at BMW International
Li Haotong had eagle on the same hole for the third day running as he opened up a three-shot lead of the BMW International Open on Saturday ahead of the final round.
Starting the day ahead by one stroke, Li was 5 under for the day and 20 under for the tournament. He was nearly further ahead but for a bogey on the 18th.
“It’s actually a lot (more) comfortable than I thought. Quite surprised,” Li said. “It’s
just another perfect day for me.”
Li completed the par-five sixth at Golfclub Munchen Eichenried in three shots on Thursday and Friday, but Saturday was the pick of the bunch as he hit a 21-yard chip into the hole. “Somehow it managed to go in,” he said.
Li has two wins on the European tour at the 2016 China Open and the 2018 Dubai Desert Classic. The latter win, when he beat Rory McIlroy by one stroke, made him the first Chinese player to be ranked in the men’s top 50.
Thomas Pieters moved into second with a 6-under 66 including an eagle and three birdies on the back nine. “I just look forward to a really lovely day tomorrow and hopefully a lot of birdies,” he said.
Jordan Smith was one shot further back at 16 under in third place, while Darius van Driel and Ryan Fox were another stroke back after Van Driel managed the joint-best score of the day with an 8under 64.