Nov 10,2024
South Korea's A Lim Kim made a hole-in-one to finish the front nine on Friday, then closed with back-to-back birdies while grabbing a one-stroke lead after three rounds at the Lotte Championship in Ewa Beach, Hawaii.
Kim wound up with a five-under-par 67 at Hoakalei Country Club, leaving her at 14 under entering the final round.
Russia's Nataliya Guseva is one stroke back following a 68, and Ryann O'Toole is at 11 under following a 69.
Auston Kim, South Korea's Jin Young Ko and second-round co-leader Yuri Yoshida of Japan are tied for fourth at 10 under.
South Korea's Jeongeun Lee and Japan's Nasa Hataoka share seventh place at nine under.
South Africa's Ashleigh Buhai and defending championGrace Kim of Australia are at eight under, tied for ninth.
At the par-three ninth hole, A Lim Kim sent her nine-iron shot onto the green, and it took one hop into the cup.
She said of the hole: "Calculate number and then chose line and then hit it. I think it was 99% lucky."
Looking ahead to the final round and the chance to add to her one career LPGA victory at the 2020 US Women's Open, she said: "Every tournament I think the same - focus on my line and then hit it. That's it. Any result, I don't care."
A Lim Kim sits in 65th place in the tour standings, and she needs to climb up to the top 60 between this week and next week to qualify for the season-endingCME Group Tour Championship in Florida.
