Park Ji-young, 28, will attempt to win the first ever 72-hole no-bogey title on the Korean Ladies Professional Golf Association (KLPGA) Tour’s Mediheal-Hankook Ilbo Championship ($10 million).
Park carded six birdies and no bogeys for a 6-under-par 66 in the third round of the tournament at the Club 72 Sky Course (par 72) in Incheon on Wednesday.
With a three-round total of 17-under 199, Park maintained a two-stroke lead over second-place finisher Jung Yun-ji (24).
Park, who won three titles last year, is one step closer to her eighth KLPGA Tour victory in seven months after winning the KB Financial Star Championship in September.
With 17 birdies and no bogeys over the three days, Park will attempt to become the first player in tour history to win a 72-hole event without a bogey. If Park can continue her bogey-free play in the final round and win, she will become the first 72-hole no-bogey winner on the KLPGA Tour.
There have been five previous 54-hole no-bogey victories on the KLPGA Tour, including Lee Seung-hyun (2018 S-OIL Championship), Ji Han-sol (2017 ADT Caps Championship), Park Sung-hyun (2016 Jeju Samdasoo Masters), Bae Sun-woo (2016 E1 Charity Open) and Shin Ji-ae (2008 Woori Investment & Securities Ladies Championship), but no player has ever won a 72-hole no-bogey event.
Last week at the Doosan E&C Weave Championship, South Korea’s Yoo Min Hwang, 21, played bogey-free through three rounds, but two bogeys in the fourth round ended her bid for a 72-hole no-bogey title.
“It would be nice to have a bogey-free round in the final round, but since it’s the last day, I expect the pin positions to be difficult and the greens 토토사이트 to be fast,” said Park. “I’m sure there will be a crisis or two, but I’m determined to try to achieve the record.”
Park is the inaugural champion of the event, which is now in its third year, so he is even more motivated to win. “The trophy is really big and beautiful. I hope to win it again,” he said.
“There are a lot of good players out there, so I’m going to play nervously,” she said, adding, “If I’m aggressive, I’m going to be in more danger, so I’m going to play as steady as I can, put the ball on the green and see what happens.”
Jung Yoon-ji, who was tied for the lead with Park Ji-young in the second round, dropped four strokes to finish in second place at 15-under 201 total.
Cho Ae-yeon, 24, is tied for third (13-under 203), Kim Seo-yoon, 22, and Madasom, 25, are tied for fourth (12-under 204), and Lee Ga-young, 25, is tied for sixth (11-under 205).
Hwang Yoo-min, who won her first title of the season last week, finished tied for 30th (4-under par 212).
