South Korean rookie Ryu Hae-ran fired a second straight bogey-free seven-under-par 64 to grab a two-stroke lead after Saturday’s third round of the LPGA NW Arkansas Championship.
The 22-year-old world No 37 stood on 14-under 128 after 36 holes in the 54-hole event at Pinnacle Country Club in Rogers, Arkansas.
“I can’t hit a bogey these two rounds and I’m so happy,” Ryu said. “This week my shot is so perfect.
“I think it’s the first time I hit a 60-score [twice] in a row and I want to try one more round.”
Japanese rookie Yuna Nishimura also fired a 64 to share second on 12-under 130 with Australian Hannah Green. South Korea’s Jenny Shin was third on 11-under 131 with compatriot Kim Sei-young another stroke adrift.
South Africa’s Paula Reto missed the cut after a second successive 72 left her on two over.
Ryu, a five-time winner on the Korean LPGA Tour and LPGA Q-school medalist, has five top-10 finishes this year, including eighth at the US Women’s Open at Pebble Beach.
She birdied the par-three 11th hole and added another at the par-five 18th to close her first nine, then reeled off four consecutive birdies from the par-three 3rd through the par-three 6th holes and concluded her round with a birdie at the par-four 9th.
“Today on the first nine holes my shot is so perfect but I can’t make birdie, I can’t focus on my putts. Always I miss the cup,” Ryu said. “First nine holes my putt is going off to the right.”
But the rookie revived her form after her birdie at 18.
“OK, I have more chances and I have more holes left,” Ryu told herself. “Yeah, it was more confidence after nine holes that I can make so many birdies, and I got it.”
Nishimura (23) started on the back nine and birdied four of her first five holes then birdied four of the first six on her second nine before a bogey at the 8th dropped her two off the pace.
Nishimura’s only top-15 result in 22 prior LPGA Tour starts was a fourth-place showing in last year’s Japan Classic.
World No 24 Green, the 2019 Women’s PGA Championship winner, captured her third LPGA Tour title in April at the LA Championship.
The 26-year-old from Perth closed with back-to-back birdies to shoot a bogey-free 65.
“Really happy with today’s round because it felt kind of flat through the middle there, and then it was nice to pick up two birdies the last two holes,” Green said.
Shin, ranked 72nd, began on the back nine and opened with five birdies in her first six holes, but stumbled with a bogey at the first. Shin answered with a birdie at the 4th and closed with five pars.
Shin, a 30-year-old from Seoul, won her only LPGA Tour title at the 2016 Texas Shootout. Her best showing this year was sixth at another 54-hole event, the ShopRite Classic in June.
© Agence France-Presse
