LPGA: South Korea’s Jeongeun Lee leads by five heading into Evian final round
Lee could join Se Ri Pak and In Gee Chun as players to earn first two wins at majors
Jeongeun Lee shot a three-under 68 on Saturday at the Evian Championship to take a five-stroke lead into the final round.
Lee was coming off a historic round on Friday, in which she shot a 10-under 61 to tie the record for low round at a major. Her 36-hole total of 127, good for 15-under par, was also a record for two rounds in a men’s or women’s major championship, breaking the 128 shot by Brooks Koepka at the 2019 PGA Championship.
Lee, 25, finished the third round with an eagle and four birdies against three bogeys. She holed out the eagle from the fairway on the 11th hole.
The winner of the US Women’s Open in 2019, Lee is seeking her second career LPGA title. If she wins on Sunday, she would join fellow South Koreans Se Ri Pak and In Gee Chun as the only LPGA players to earn their first two wins at majors.
“I’m waiting so much (for my) second win, but this tournament is even the major tournament,” Lee said. “If I win, I’ll be very happy. Huge honour.”
Lee is the seventh woman since 2007 to lead by at least five strokes heading into the final round of a major. All six of the previous players in that position have gone on to win.
Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn, who shot a 63 on Friday and started the day only three behind Lee, struggled to a two-over 73 and is now eight strokes back in seventh place.
American teen Yealimi Noh will start the final round in second place, at 13-under for the tournament. She closed the third round with three straight birdies to finish the day with a 67.
Australian Lydia Ko, who won the 2015 Evian tournament, sits in third place after shooting a three-under 68 to put her at 12-under for the tournament. After finishing with just one bogey in each of the first two rounds, Ko managed to go bogey-free on Saturday.
“I just got to stick to my gameplan and see,” said Ko. “There is so many big names, a lot of players playing well, so I think I have to focus on me and go from there.” Pajaree Anannarukarn of Thailand, Ayaka Furue of Japan and Minjee Lee of Australia are all tied for fourth at 11-under. Lee shot a six-under 65 to jump from 15th place after the second round.
Defending champion Jin Young Ko, who rebounded from an opening-round 72 with 69 on Friday, stumbled again on Saturday with a five-over 76. She is in 74th place at four-over.