06/27/26 05:08:00
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06/27 17:07 CDT Ryu leads Women's PGA Championship by a shot after three
rounds; Korda is four shots back
Ryu leads Women's PGA Championship by a shot after three rounds; Korda is four
shots back
By MIKE COOK
Associated Press
CHASKA, Minn. (AP) --- Haeran Ryu shot a 4-under 68 on Saturday to take a
one-shot lead over Brooke Henderson after three rounds of the Women's PGA
Championship.
Ina Yoon, who entered the day with a five-shot lead, struggled early but
settled down to finish with a 3-over 75 and is two shots off the pace.
Dewi Weber, the 210th ranked player in the World Golf Rankings seeking her
first career LPGA win, birdied three of the final four holes and is three shots
back after a 4-under 68. A Lim Kim joins her there.
Nelly Korda, chasing a historic third straight major championship win, shot a
1-under 71 on a sun-drenched, but windy day at Hazeltine National Golf Club
outside Minneapolis. She and Alison Lee are four shots off the lead, which
history indicates is important.
In the last 35 Women's PGA Championships, the eventual winner was leading or
within four shots of the lead after three rounds.
The top-ranked player in the world, Korda has struggled on the greens over the
first three rounds, going 7 for11 on putts between 3 and 5 feet, ranking 65th
among the 68 remaining players. She was 19 of 20 from that distance over four
rounds when she won the U.S. Open earlier this month.
"The greens are pretty slick. They don't have too much grass on them. The short
putts are pretty difficult," said Korda, who three-putted two greens in her
round. "Putting in general, when it gets this windy, you have to calculate in
the wind, too, and a gust here and there. Sometimes you just aren't as
confident with your lines."
Ryu's score tied for the lowest round of the day, one day after her 64 was
Friday's low score.
She played the first seven holes in 4 under, including a 28-foot eagle putt on
No. 7, and a birdie putt on No. 9 that rimmed around three-quarters of the hole
before falling. Ryu was 1-over on the back nine.
"It was more windy and a lot of tough shots and tough putts, but I just made
one bogey today, so it was good for me for tomorrow, and tomorrow I just want
to have more confidence and more calm," she said of potentially winning her
first major.
Yoon, who shot a tournament record-tying 63 on Thursday and a 69 on Friday to
reach 12 under, put her opening tee shot in a bunker, leading to a bogey. It
was the first of four on the front side to go with one birdie. Bogeys on Nos.
10 and 12 were sandwiched around a birdie on No. 11 before the 23-year-old
South Korean played the final six holes in 1 under.
"I had a really long day, especially the front nine. I was just nervous a lot.
I missed short putts," she said.
Nerves are not an issue for Henderson, who looks to win her second Women's PGA
Championship 10 years after winning at Sahalee Country Club in Washington at
age 18.
"It was nice to hit a lot of greens, a lot of fairways and give myself a lot of
good birdie looks. Would have been nice maybe to capitalize on a few more, but
definitely happy with where I'm at, and excited for tomorrow."
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
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