Sei Young Kim produced a stellar performance at the BMW Ladies Championship, carding a 3-under-par 69 on Saturday. This effort has given her a commanding four-stroke lead heading into the final round at Pine Beach Golf Links in Haenam, South Korea. Kim’s round was marked by five birdies and four bogeys, culminating in an impressive eagle on the 17th hole.
With her three-day total of 19-under 197, Kim has set a new 54-hole tournament scoring record. She is well-positioned to challenge the 72-hole record of 266, previously established by Jin Young Ko and Hee Jeong Lim in 2021 at LPGA International Busan. This tournament presents a significant opportunity for Kim, who is aiming for her 13th LPGA Tour victory and her first since 2020.
As she prepares for the final round, Kim remains focused on her performance. “You just have to deal with the situation, whichever that you have, so that’s — I think that’s the homework that I have for (Sunday), and it’s really a fight against myself,” she stated. Kim’s previous experience leading after multiple rounds at the same tournament, specifically winning the 2019 CME Group Tour Championship, adds to her confidence.
Challenging Kim for the title is Yealimi Noh, who shot a 67 on Saturday, and Nasa Hataoka from Japan, who finished with a 69. Noh expressed her confidence stemming from a victory earlier this season at the Founders Cup. “Just so much confidence, confidence that I really needed. And then it was a great start to the year,” she remarked, emphasizing how that win has helped her maintain momentum.
In the standings, American Brooke Matthews fell back after a triple-bogey on the par-3 15th hole, ending her day with a score of 74. She now finds herself six strokes behind Kim, tied for fourth place with South Korean Somi Lee (67), Celine Boutier from France (69), and Japan’s Rio Takeda (72).
Tied for eighth place at 12-under are A Lim Kim (68) and Sweden’s Linn Grant (69), both one stroke ahead of defending champion Hannah Green (68) and fellow Australian Minjee Lee (71).
The tournament faced an unfortunate incident as Korean Haeji Kang withdrew during the third round due to injury. As the final round approaches, all eyes will be on Kim as she seeks to secure her place in LPGA history.
