Se-young Kim's Surge "Tied 3rd, 3 Strokes Behind"... Saxstrom Leads

Gainbridge LPGA Day 3: 5 Under Par, Hataoka 2nd, Danielle Kang Tied 3rd at 7 Under Par 'Chase'

Kim Sei-young is teeing off at the 8th hole on the third day of the Gainbridge LPGA. Boca Raton, Florida, USA ? Photo by Getty Images/Multibits

[Asia Economy Reporter No Woo-rae] It is a surge by Kim Se-young (27, Mirae Asset, photo), ranked 6th in the world.

On the 26th (Korean time), at the Boca Rio Golf Club (par 72, 6,701 yards) in Boca Raton, Florida, USA, during the third day of the second event of the 2020 LPGA Tour season, the Gainbridge LPGA (total prize money $2 million), she shot 5 under par to leap to a tie for 3rd place (12 under par, 204 strokes). Madelene Saxstrom (Sweden) held the lead for the second consecutive day (15 under par, 201 strokes), with Nasa Hataoka (Japan) in 2nd place (13 under par, 203 strokes), and Danielle Kang (USA) joining the tie for 3rd.

Starting from 6th place, 3 strokes behind, Kim Se-young collected 6 birdies (1 bogey). She started fresh with a birdie on the 1st hole (par 5), then chased the leader with 3 consecutive birdies from the 8th to 10th holes. She added 2 consecutive birdies on the 15th and 16th holes, but a bogey on the final 18th hole (par 4) was disappointing. She relied on powerful drives averaging 261 yards and 27 putts per round. She is 3 strokes behind the leader, and this is her first chance to win in two months since the CME Group Tour Championship, the final event of the 2019 season, last November.

Saxstrom maintained her position at the top of the leaderboard by making 5 birdies. She debuted on the LPGA Tour in 2017 and has yet to win a tournament. Hanaoka, the runner-up at last week's opening Diamond Resort event, is eyeing a comeback victory, and Danielle Kang improved her ranking with a daily best 7 under par. Koreans Choi Woon-jung (30, Volvik) and Jeon In-ji (26, KB Financial Group) are tied for 27th place (3 under par, 213 strokes), and Ji Eun-hee (34, Hanwha Q CELLS) is tied for 49th place (even par, 216 strokes).