Mi Hyang Lee combines 7 birdies and 6 bogeys to top the LPGA leaderboard in China.
HAINAN ISLAND, China — Mi Hyang Lee recorded just five pars on Saturday during a tumultuous and breezy round at the Blue Bay LPGA, concluding with a 1-under 71, which allowed her to take a three-shot lead as the South Korean aims for her first LPGA victory in over eight years.
Lee achieved seven birdies at Jian Lake Blue Bay, countered by six bogeys that prevented her from extending her lead further.
She stands at 12-under 204, three strokes ahead of Hye-Jin Choi (68) and Yu Liu from China (73).
Defending champion Rio Takeda of Japan made a strong push to join the leaders, finishing her last 11 holes at 6 under for a 67, placing her four shots behind the leader.
“A lot of ups and downs,” Lee remarked about her round. “But I still finished under par, so I’m really looking forward to tomorrow.”
Her most recent LPGA victory was at the Women’s Scottish Open in 2017.
Compounding the challenge of the wind was a persistent shoulder injury that first emerged last fall during an LPGA event in Ohio. She aimed to conclude the year at the season-ending Tour Championship and took two months off to recuperate.
“This is my third week, so I think I might be overdoing it with my shoulder,” she stated. “Last night I couldn’t sleep without my medication. So hopefully, just one more day for tomorrow.”
Choi, ranked No. 15 in the women’s world rankings, carded a 31 on the front nine to re-enter contention. She was closing in on Lee until she recorded a bogey on the par-4 17th and missed a birdie opportunity on the par-5 finishing hole.
“The back nine was not as favorable compared to the front nine, but I made several good saves,” Choi noted. “Due to the wind, I couldn’t position my second shot near the pin.”
Lee was not the only competitor to experience a tumultuous round. Liu started the back nine with a double bogey on No. 10 but quickly redeemed herself by making an eagle on the par-4 12th.
Auston Kim faced another challenging Saturday. The American was in contention the previous week at the HSBC Women’s World Championship until a 73 in the third round. She recorded a 74 at Blue Bay, leaving her five shots off the lead.
Blue Bay marks the third consecutive LPGA event during its initial Asia swing of the season. Following a week where nine of the top 10 players in the world competed in Singapore, the field in China featured only one of the top 10 — Ruoning Yin of China, a former Women’s PGA champion who shot 74 and was nine shots behind.
