For a third consecutive day, Jin Young Ko has ruled Kooyonga in building a four-shot buffer heading into the final round of the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open in Adelaide.
The South Korean superstar, 22, carded a one-under-par 71 to go with her dazzling, first-round 65 and second-round 69. At 11 under, she is four clear of rising western Australian star Hannah Green, who shot a six-under 66 to be wedged between the mighty Koreans. Major winner Sun Young Yoo slam dunked her second shot for eagle at the 17th and is tied for third with Hyejin Choi at six under par.
Another western Australian, Minjee Lee, is a shot further back with Japan’s Nasa Hataoka on minus five.
Ultimately the day belonged to Green, who shot the lowest round of the day. After starting with three straight birdies, another pair of birdies at the eighth and ninth saw her make the turn in 32. She came back with a birdie on 16, followed by a bogey on 17 and then picked up another stroke at the par-4 18th.
“It was a good round today, I was very pleased with my ball striking today. I missed a few greens and the other two I was putting off the edge, so the ball striking was there. It wasn’t there yesterday, and I did some work in the afternoon, so I’m glad it was more tight,” said Green, who tied for third in the recent Oates Vic Open and who will also play in the Australian Ladies Classic – Bonville, next week in Coffs Harbour on the Central Coast.
“I’ve played probably my best golf the last three weeks and it’s just great to be here in Australia. It’s always great to be playing in an Australian Open. Obviously, a home Open, it’s just really nice to be up the top of the leaderboard and feel all the support from the crowd.”
Earlier in the day, Jenny Haglund from Sweden drove away with a Hyundai Genesis car, worth approximately AUD$80,000, for her hole-in-one at the 144m 14th hole.
