(Photo credit score: Chris Tilley/Special to the Naples Daily News / USA TODAY NETWORK)
South Korea’s Amy Yang and Nasa Hataoka of Japan put a bit distance between themselves and the sphere Saturday and share the lead after three rounds of the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Fla.
Yang fired an 8-under-par 64 and Hataoka, the second-round co-leader, shot 65 at Tiburon Golf Club as each sit at 21 below heading into Sunday’s last spherical.
Second-round co-leader Alison Lee dropped off the tempo with a 68 to personal solo third at 18 below. China’s Xiyu Lin shot 66 to creep into solo fourth at 17 below. Australia’s Minjee Lee (third-round 69) and China’s Ruoning Yin (69) are tied for fifth, 5 photographs off the lead.
Yang birdied the primary gap and by no means appeared again, posting eight birdies on the day and not using a bogey. In reality, she has performed bogey-free golf since a bogey on No. 1 Thursday.
“Yeah, boy, I wasn’t even thinking about it,” Yang mentioned.
“I’ve been hitting the ball really solid and that really gave me lots of chances out there,” she added. “My putting have been working so well, and just, yeah, was just everything worked out together.”
Hataoka additionally turned in a clear card with seven birdies.
“My hitting and putting good again, and I’m very happy to play bogey-free today,” Hataoka mentioned.
Lee had no arguments along with her 68 however a repeat of her Friday 64 would have been a game-changer on shifting day.
“You can never complain with a 4-under par,” Lee mentioned. “I just felt like today I hit it really well. Just couldn’t make the putts that I wanted to make. … Left quite a few today short. Didn’t really feel comfortable. I didn’t read some of the putts quite right.”
Lin had an fascinating day. She posted a bogey on the entrance 9 however then reeled off 4 straight birdies. She then repeated the sample coming in – bogey adopted by birdies on Nos. 15-18.
“I think the early bogey comes in with a little bit of frustration because it was a three-putt, but then I just keep telling myself there is plenty of opportunity out there,” Lin mentioned. “And especially on this course, the first four is pretty hard to get through. … I did really good before I make the turn, so that sets pretty good tones going into the … back nine.”
Carlota Ciganda of Spain posted the day’s low spherical, 63, to leap into T11 at 1 below.
–Field Level Media