Zhang Weiwei records a 66 to tie for the lead at the LPGA event in China.
HAINAN ISLAND, China — Zhang Weiwei made two crucial chips on her final holes, one resulting in an eagle and the other in a birdie, finishing with a 6-under 66 and securing a three-way tie for the lead in the Blue Bay LPGA on Thursday.
Zhang, among 20 competitors from the China Golf Association, found herself tied with China’s Mary Liu and South Korea’s Youmin Hwang. All three performed well despite the challenging windy conditions at Jian Lake Blue Bay.
Auston Kim, the American who shared third place last week at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore, recorded a score of 67.
Zhang capitalized on a shorter tee box on the par-5 17th hole, allowing her to reach the green in two strokes and chip in for eagle. She concluded her round with a chip just off the 18th green, approximately 30 feet from the hole.
“I hit it a bit heavy,” she remarked about her chip on the 17th. “But the landing spot was perfect and it rolled straight into the hole. That really got me excited and energized.”
Liu birdied four of her last six holes to finish with a 66, while Hwang excelled around the turn, achieving five birdies within a six-hole span during her round.
Kim recorded nine birdies, countered by four bogeys, placing her in a tie for third.
“I’m just hitting a couple shots here and there that are really costing me,” Kim stated. “A couple three-putts today, and just a couple bad shots off the tee. Overall the rest of it was more solid than before.”
The Blue Bay LPGA concludes a three-tournament series in Asia for the LPGA, featuring the weakest field of the three events. This follows a week in Singapore that included nine of the top 10 players in the women’s world rankings, with only Nelly Korda absent, as she opted out of the Asia swing once again.
Ruoning Yin of China (No. 10) is the sole player from the top 10 competing at Hainan Island. Ruoning, a former Women’s PGA champion, began her round with a score of 68.
