UNHERALDED JANG THREE CLEAR IN HAWAII
>> KAPOLEI: Jang Su-Yeon, who needed a sponsor invite to get into the event, fired a bogey-free 65 to grab a three-shot lead heading into the final round of the weather-plagued Lotte Championship on Friday.
South Korea’s Jang reached a total of 17-under 199 and is aiming to become the first sponsor’s invite to win on the US LPGA Tour since New Zealand’s Lydia Ko captured the Canadian Women’s Open four years ago.
Canada’s Alena Sharp (66) and Cristie Kerr (62) of the US are tied for second at 14-under 202 in the tournament which has featured weather delays in each of the first three rounds.
Kerr had a 62 to tie Lizette Salas’ tournament record. Kerr, who turns 40 this year, played the back nine in 29, with birdies on seven of her last eight holes.
Sharp stayed with Jang, birdie for birdie, until a bogey on the final hole left her with a 66. She was just one back after sinking a 15-footer from the fringe on the 16th.
Chun In-Gee (65), the 2015 US Women’s Open champion, and third-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn (70) was 12-under 204.
Top-ranked Ko, looking for her first win since July, was tied for seventh at nine under after a 65. She was eight strokes behind the leader, a shot behind second-ranked Ryu So-Yeon (69).
For the third day in a row there was a weather delay on Friday. The wind and rain, and thunder and lightening, have made Ko Olina a tropical adventure.
When darkness halted play on Thursday, Jang had two holes remaining and a share of the lead at nine under with Ariya and Kim In-Kyung. Jang birdied her 17th hole early Friday to claim the second-round lead.
After the leaders played their first hole, play was halted for an hour. Jang came back with four quick birdies and added three in a row on the back nine. She needed just 25 putts.
“Because I had to finish up the second round this morning and play another 18 I was a little bit tired,” she said. “But I know I’m so far away from home and I travel so long to play this tournament, so I try to tell myself just to suck if up and have a good time and play a good round today.”