Leona Maguire’s quest for a third LPGA Tour victory will have to wait another week at least after a frustrating day that required back-to-back birdies on 17 and 18 to get her back in red figures, but sees her a long way off the lead.
For a player that’s been remarkably consistent throughout her career, 2024 has been something of an anomaly and that was evident in her opening two rounds of the Buick LPGA Shanghai at Qizhong Garden Golf Club where she went 66-72, and evident again in round three where she made four birdies and three bogeys for a 71. Two of those bogeys came in the opening seven holes, and despite birdieing the ninth, she turned at +1 on the day.
After another bogey on 11, she regrouped and birdied three of the final five holes but drops two places to T19 and, 11 shots back, realistically can only aim for a top 10 finish which would be her first on the LPGA Tour since April.
Japan’s Mao Saigo has fought her way to the top of the leaderboard after her second successive 65 and sits on -18, but 2023 Women’s PGA Championship winner Ruoning Yin has moved to within a shot of the lead after an incredible nine-under 63.
There is clear daylight between Yin and Korea’s Sei Young Kim who lead after rounds one and two but could only manage a 69 on day three and is three of the lead and two off second at -15.
American Yealimi Noh occupies solo fourth at -13, and it looks as though the winner will come from this leading quartet with a further two strokes separating them from a six-strong pack at -11 which includes Minjee Lee and Nasa Hataoka among others.
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