KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Choi Hye-jin will go into the final round of the Maybank Championship with a four-stroke advantage after posting a 5-under 67 on Saturday as she looks to maintain the lead she has held since the opening round and claim her first LPGA Tour win.
Choi, who played as a member of the Korean team in last week’s International Crown, played 54 holes at the Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club course, scoring a total of 19 under par and 197. She started the day with a five-shot lead.
Choi, 26, has finished in the top 10 28 times in her career and was runner-up at the 2017 U.S. Women’s Open as a 17-year-old amateur.
It was the first time in her career that she led after the first three rounds of play, and the third time she led the tournament heading into the final round. The last two times they finished as runners-up.
Choi said, “I’ve been waiting for a really long time, so I’ll do my best tomorrow.” “I think it feels like I’m living a dream and I just imagine it. I’m just looking for a win tomorrow.”
China’s Liu Yan (65) finished second after a bogey-free round, while Hannah Green, part of the Australian team that won last weekend’s International Crown, shot a 67 to take third place, four strokes behind Choi.
Lim Kim shot a 64 to tie for fourth place, six strokes behind the leader. In the gold round, he made six birdies, including an eagle on the 18th.
“It was a great shot, but it was an unlikely one,” Kim said of her 25-foot eagle putt on the 18th. She started the round with four birdies in five holes.
World No. 1 Gino Titikul, who has been runner-up in Malaysia for the past two years, also shot a 65 to tie for fourth place. She took the bar on the last three holes Saturday.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s a good thing,” Titicle said. She praised the support of the many fans in the gallery and said again that the venue was like a “mini tie” for her.
Defending champion Ying Ruoning shot a 69 and tied with New Zealand’s Lydia Ko (68) for seventh place, seven strokes behind Choi. Brooke Henderson shot a 68 and was 11 strokes back.
Next week, the LPGA concludes its five-week Asian swing with the Japan Classic in Shiga.