Round 2 co-leader Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand took command of the Lotte Championship on Saturday in Honolulu, shooting 5-under-par 67 to take a three-stroke lead into Sunday’s final round.
South Korea’s Ina Yoon (69) and Germany’s Polly Mack (70) are tied for second place at 14 under.
Thitikul separated from the pack in the back nine at Hoakalei Country Club. After she was even par over the front nine with one birdie and one bogey — her first of the tournament at the par-4 seventh hole — she began the back nine with birdies on the first three holes followed by four straight pars and then closed out strong with birdies on Nos. 17 and 18.
Thitikul, the No. 2 player in the Rolex world rankings, is seeking her fourth win of the season. She was a steady presence throughout the round, hitting 12 of 14 fairways and 17 of 18 greens in regulation.
“To be consistent playing week to week to week, you need to have consistent greens in regulation as well,” Thitikul said after her round. “You can’t miss a green and shoot like 5-under-par every day. It could happen, but it’s not going to happen often. So to have a game that your ball is always on the green is how you can play golf simple.”
Perhaps in line with that, Mack, who was tied with Thitikul after Friday’s second round, hit just 11 of 18 greens in regulation and had a more up-and-down round with four birdies and two bogeys.
Mack doesn’t mind being off the lead, though, as she seeks her first career LPGA win.
“I like to be in a chase actually. I like to chase rather than being in the lead, so this is a good position for me,” Mack said. “I’m just looking forward to a great Sunday, good momentum. I know I have it in me to just put on a good show out there.”
Sweden’s Maja Stark (67) and Italy’s Carolina Melgrati (70) are tied for fourth at 13 under. A trio of Americans posted the lowest rounds of the day to surge into the top 10. Lilia Vu (66) is tied for sixth with Miyu Yamashita (69) of Japan and China’s Michelle Zhang (70) at 12 under, while Hailee Cooper (64) and Yana Wilson (66) are among seven competitors tied for ninth at 11 under.
