Natthakritta chases leader in Hawaii

Thai rookie looking for first LPGA win is 2 photographs off the lead heading into remaining spherical

HONOLULU: Natthakritta Vongtaveelap of Thailand is simply two photographs off the lead heading into the ultimate spherical of the Lotte Championship in Hawaii.

The 20-year-old rookie, who solely turned skilled in November, is chasing her first LPGA Tour victory after coming inside a hair of successful the Thailand Open in Pattaya in February.

Natthakritta, who led after the primary two rounds, struggled within the wind on Friday and completed with a one-over-par 73, which dropped her to seven below, two off the lead alongside Nasa Hataoka of Japan and People Christina Kim and Lauren Hartlage.

Sung Yu-Jin is alone in first place at 9 below, forward of three gamers at 8 below together with Georgia Corridor.

Sung, who is simply taking part in on this week’s event after receiving a sponsor’s invitation, posted two birdies, a bogey and 15 pars in a strong however unspectacular spherical at Hoakalei Nation Membership exterior Honolulu.

Corridor, who arrived in Hawaii on the again of two consecutive runner-up finishes within the Los Angeles Open and Drive On Championship, missed an opportunity to hitch Sung on the high of the leaderboard after rolling a birdie putt on the 18th inexperienced simply large.

The Englishwoman, who had lit up the second spherical with a blinding six-under-par 66, settled for a one-under-par 71 that leaves her firmly within the hunt for victory.

Sturdy winds on Friday made for difficult situations within the third spherical with not one of the high eight girls on the leaderboard managing to duck below 70.

The day’s greatest transfer got here from Bailey Tardy, who bounced again from her disastrous five-over-par 77 on Thursday with a seven-under-par 65 that vaulted her again into competition.

Tardy performed flawlessly to make seven birdies and no bogeys and believes her efficiency in troublesome situations augurs properly for the ultimate spherical.

“I’m fairly assured,” Tardy stated. “Simply having the ability to play properly in 20 to 30-mile-an-hour winds means I understand how to hit golf photographs, not simply how one can hit the right shot.”

Tardy completed the third spherical three off the lead on six below, tied for ninth place alongside France’s Celine Boutier, Taiwan’s Chien Pei-yun, Canada’s Brooke Henderson and Liu Siyun of China.