YVINS, Utah – Harlan Liu regained control of the Black Desert Championship by holeing out to Eagle on hole 11th hole, sending her to the 4-under 68 to maintain a two-shot lead for over 60 years on her return to Utah on the LPGA Tour.
Ryu is about to win the tournament for the seventh year in a row.
Her biggest challenge is the former female PGA champion, running off 10 birdies at Black Dessert at 62, the tournament’s best score, enough to reach within two shots.
Ryu started with a two-shot lead, and only twice the player got her caught.
One of them was Somi Lee. He had an early birdie, without a birdie, self-destructing with a double bogey on No. 6, and without birdies until the final hole after shooting himself from the tournament.
German Estelle Hensleit temporarily caught Ryu, but only until the 24-year-old Korean stands on the 11th fairway 82 yards away. Her wedge caught the slope with enough spin to send it into the cup for me.
Haeran Ryu keeps her lead, but an exciting and moving day will see Yin and Chanettee Wannasaen jumping into the top five
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Henseleit made a 10-foot birdie putt on the 17th, earning it within one shot. However, she had to hit the drive onto a black lava rock and hit another lava from the tee. Her par tips from just behind Green remained three feet away from her, but she missed what looked like a routine putt and made a double bogey. It gave the Germans 68 and left her three shots.
“I think you have to think about the good shots you’ve hit,” Hensleight said.
Ryu had the opportunity to expand his lead until Henslate missed a birdie putt from about the same distance.
Ryu, who shared a 54-hole lead in the Chevron Championship majors last week, concluded with a 76, but last year’s final victory also won the FM Championship, his LPGA debut.
Yin Yang, who lost his chance to score another major when he putts in the 5-way playoffs last week at Chevron, delayed eight shots and posted 62 while the final group was making a turn.
“I’m going to keep saying this. I’ll stay in the present, the past is the past,” he said. “I mean, we can’t guarantee that every day will be a good day like we do today, but you just had to keep trying to have a great day.”
Due to forecast rain, the start time for the final round on Sunday has been moving forward.