After a tough Friday round in South Korea, Cavan’s Leona Maguire pieced together a much stronger showing in Saturday’s third round as the 30-year-old posted a bogey free 69 around a blustery and cloudy Pine Beach Golf Links to sit T52 on three-under.
Starting on the back nine, Maguire stayed level par until the two time LPGA winner made her first bogey on the par-5 17th. Heading into her last nine holes at one-under, Maguire quickly added another bogey at the next par-5, the 10th.
Keeping a steady pace back to the clubhouse, Maguire showed her class on her last, the ninth, with a day-making birdie to lift her spirits heading into the final round on Sunday.
Maguire in fine form off the tee, hitting all fairways.
Maguire is currently projected to drop to 54th in the rankings with only four events left to play but a strong showing on Sunday could pull Maguire away from the top-60 cut off point, if she is looking for some comfort room before the CME Globe Championship.
South Korea’s Sei Young Kim still leads the group, as she did from the start of the tournament as the 32-year-old also posted a three-under 69 to take a four stroke lead at 19-under.
It was a day of brilliance and annoyance for Kim as she made five birdies and an eagle, but also fell to some needless errors making four bogeys.
Kim’s best work came at the par-5 17th, making eagle to cement her stance at the top of the leaderboard.
USA’s Yealimi Noh shares second place with Japan’s Nasa Hataoka at 15-under.
American Brooke Matthews, who had trailed Kim by a stroke after 36 holes, triple bogeyed the par-3 15th to fall six strokes behind Kim and tied for T4 with Somi Lee, Celine Boutier and Rio Takeda at 13-under.
South Korea’s A Lim Kim and Sweden’s Linn Grant both share T8 at 12-under.
Defending champion Hannah Green shot a four-under 68 to sit T10 at 11-under alongside fellow Australian Minjee Lee.
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