▲ Kim Hyo-joo
Kim Hyo-joo and Kim Sei-young are eyeing a come-from-behind victory after moving into a tie for second place following the third round of the LPGA Tour FM Championship (total purse $4.4 million).
Kim Hyo-joo and Kim Sei-young both recorded 11-under-par 205 through the third round of the tournament held at TPC Boston (par 72) in Norton, Massachusetts, on the 30th (Korea time), placing them in a tie for second.
They sit just one stroke behind sole leader Yin Ruoning of China (12-under 204).
World No. 4 Kim Hyo-joo, who shared the co-lead the previous day, slipped to second after managing to shave off only two strokes with four birdies and two bogeys, but she remains in the championship hunt.
Seeking her ninth career LPGA Tour victory, Kim Hyo-joo is chasing her third win of the season following the Fortinet Founders Cup and the Ford Championship in March.
On this day, Kim Hyo-joo shaved three strokes off her score on the front nine, including consecutive birdies on the 6th (par 4) and 7th (par 5) holes, but dropped one stroke on the back nine with back-to-back bogeys on the 10th (par 4) and 11th (par 3).
Reflecting on her performance, she said, "I played really well on the front nine, so I thought it would be a satisfying round, but the bogeys on holes 10 and 11 woke me back up. My putts didn't drop at the end, but I finished decently."
Looking ahead to the final round, she expressed her determination, saying, "My goal is to play the best within my group. Since the gaps in strokes are not that big and anyone could win, I think I need to lower my score through the aggressive play I do best."
Kim Sei-young, who surged to the sole lead with an 8-under in the first round before dropping two strokes in the second round to slip into a tie for 9th, rekindled her title hopes by cutting five strokes on this day.
Despite carding a double bogey, she fired an eagle on the 12th hole (par 5) and swept up five birdies.
If Kim Sei-young claims the top spot in this tournament, it will mark her 14th career LPGA Tour title, adding a trophy about 10 months after her victory at the BMW Ladies Championship held in Haenam, South Jeolla Province, in October of last year.
Kim Sei-young said, "I felt anxious heading out today because of my big regrets from yesterday, but things got better as I started well. The greens were a bit difficult, but I consulted a lot with my caddie, created many chances, and even got an eagle, which seemed to put me in a good condition afterward. I'll do my best and play well for the remaining day."
Lee So-mi tied for 4th (8-under 208) alongside Jenny Bae of the U.S., while Im Jin-hee finished the third round in a tie for 6th (7-under 209).
World No. 3 Yu Ha-ran, the 2024 champion of this tournament, failed to lower her score and dropped three spots into a tie for 12th (6-under 210).
Choi Hye-jin tied for 16th (5-under 211) alongside World No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand, Yoon Ina and Lee Dong-eun tied for 43rd (1-under 215), and World No. 1 Nelly Korda of the U.S. placed in a tie for 49th (even par 216) heading into the final round.
(Photo: Getty Images)
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