LPGA Tour: Hyo Joo Kim retains a three-shot lead going into final round at Lotte Championship | Golf News

Kim is three strokes ahead of Hinako Shibuno and Brianna Do, with Northern Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow four shots back as she chases a maiden LPGA Tour victory; Tournament has a Saturday finish in Hawaii

Hyo Joo Kim came through a mid-round blip to retain a three-shot lead heading into the final round of the LPGA Tour’s Lotte Championship, as Northern Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow moved into contention.

Kim was four ahead early in her round at Hoakalei Country Club but saw her advantage cut to one after bogeys at the seventh and 12th, only to birdie two of her last five and salvage a level-par 72.

The tap-in birdie at the par-five 18th moved the four-time LPGA Tour winner back to 10 under, extending her cushion over former AIG Women’s Open champion Hinako Shibuno and Monday qualifier Brianna Do.

Speaking about her birdie at the last, Kim said: “It was very important because it was a matter of over par or not. I had a chance at the 16th hole but I missed, so I was a little angry. Now I feel much better since I made a birdie on the last hole.”

Do jumped within three of the lead after birdieing her opening three holes on her way to a five-under 67, matching the lowest round of the day, while Shibuno made four birdies on her back nine to close out a bogey-free 68 and also get to seven under.

“I had a few good weeks on the Epson Tour, and the goal was to Monday this week,” Do said. “I made the Monday. Then the goal was to make a check to get in the reshuffle, and I did that. Now it’s trying to play my way into L.A [LA Open] next week, just revaluating goals as I go along.”

Meadow made back-to-back birdies from the eighth and picked up shots on two of the last three holes to card a three-under 69, taking her to six under alongside South Korea’s Somi Lee, while Megan Khanh and Ariya Jutanugarn are five strokes off the lead in tied-sixth.

Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh is tied-15th following a third-round 74, with England’s Charlotte Thomas in the large group on one under than contains defending champion Lydia Ko and Ladies European Tour Order of Merit winner Atthaya Thitikul.

Watch extended highlights from the final round of the LPGA Tour’s Lotte Championship on Sunday at 9am and 11.30am on Sky Sports Golf.