(Photo credit score: Matt Krohn)
Round 2 co-leader Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand took command of the Lotte Championship on Saturday in Honolulu, taking pictures 5-under-par 67 to take a three-stroke lead into Sunday’s last spherical.
South Korea’s Ina Yoon (69) and Germany’s Polly Mack (70) are tied for second place at 14 below.
Thitikul separated from the pack within the again 9 at Hoakalei Country Club. After she was even par over the entrance 9 with one birdie and one bogey — her first of the match on the par-4 seventh gap — she started the again 9 with birdies on the primary three holes adopted by 4 straight pars after which closed out robust with birdies on Nos. 17 and 18.
Thitikul, the No. 2 participant within the Rolex world rankings, is in search of her fourth win of the season. She was a gentle presence all through the spherical, hitting 12 of 14 fairways and 17 of 18 greens in regulation.
‘To be constant enjoying week to week to week, you might want to have constant greens in regulation as nicely,’ Thitikul mentioned after her spherical. ‘You cannot miss a inexperienced and shoot like 5-under-par each day. It might occur, however it’s not going to occur typically. So to have a sport that your ball is at all times on the inexperienced is how one can play golf easy.’
Perhaps according to that, Mack, who was tied with Thitikul after Friday’s second spherical, hit simply 11 of 18 greens in regulation and had a extra up-and-down spherical with 4 birdies and two bogeys.
Mack would not thoughts being off the lead, although, as she seeks her first profession LPGA win.
‘I wish to be in a chase truly. I wish to chase fairly than being within the lead, so it is a good place for me,’ Mack mentioned. ‘I’m simply trying ahead to an important Sunday, good momentum. I do know I’ve it in me to simply placed on a superb present on the market.’
Sweden’s Maja Stark (67) and Italy’s Carolina Melgrati (70) are tied for fourth at 13 below. A trio of Americans posted the bottom rounds of the day to surge into the highest 10. Lilia Vu (66) is tied for sixth with Miyu Yamashita (69) of Japan and China’s Michelle Zhang (70) at 12 below, whereas Hailee Cooper (64) and Yana Wilson (66) are amongst seven rivals tied for ninth at 11 below.
–Field Level Media