At the LPGA Portland Classic, rookie Hyo Joon Jang tied for third place with 11 birdies.
Rookie Hyo Joon Jang, 20, is tied for second place after the third round of the Portland Classic on the U.S. Women’s Professional Golf (LPGA) Tour ($1.5 million purse).
Jang carded 11 birdies against one bogey for a 10-under 62 on the third day of the tournament at Columbia Edgewater Country Club (par 72, 6,467 yards) in Portland, Oregon, USA.
With a midday total of 17-under 199, Jang moved up 23 spots in the standings to share second place with Channetee Wannasan (THA). They are one stroke behind leader Megan Kang (USA).
Jang, who moved to the United States at age 15, earned a spot on the LPGA Tour this season after finishing 10th on the LPGA’s secondary tour, the Epson Tour, last year.
While she hasn’t won on the Epson Tour, she has two runner-up finishes and ranks second in the division with 215 birdies.
Jang opened her third round with a blistering front nine that included six birdies in her first seven holes.
After making his only bogey on the ninth (par-4), Jang reeled off five birdies in the second half.
He chipped in for birdie at the 11th (par-4), dropped back-to-back long birdie putts at the 13th (par-3) and 15th (par-4), and sank a 4.5-meter putt at the 18th (par-4).
The 10-under par total is the lowest round of the tournament for Jang on the LPGA Tour.
Jang has struggled in seven events this season, missing the cut three times and withdrawing once. Her best finish was a tie for 61st at the Mizuho Americas Open in June.
According to the LPGA, Jang has been dealing with back pain that has kept her out of many tournaments.
“It was a day where everything went smoothly, from my driver to my irons to my putting,” Jang said, “I think the birdie on the last hole will be memorable, and I want to praise myself for not letting go and working hard until the end.”
“I think the fact that I had to take a break for about two months because of my back was a turning point for me, and it gave me a springboard to work harder,” she said.
Playing in the same group as Kim Hyo-ju, he said, “I was so nervous to play with her because I admire her so much. It was so good and fun,” he recalled.
Other South Koreans to finish in the top 10 were Lee Im-hyang in a tie for 16th (11-under par 205) and Lee Jeong-eun in a tie for 23rd (10-under par 206).
Kim Hyo-joo was two strokes off the pace, combining three birdies and a bogey on the day to finish in a tie for 28th (9-under 207).
Leader Kang maintained her first- and second-round gains with a six-under-par 66 for the third straight day to move into sole possession of the lead. 먹튀검증 It was her second straight victory after winning the CPKC Women’s Open last week.
