WHO’S GOT NEXT?
Of the six players within one shot of the lead, Angel Yin and Brittany Altomare (both T3, -10) are the only two who have yet to break through for their first LPGA win. A win in Shanghai would make either player the ninth Rolex First-Time Winner of the 2018 season, which would tie 2016 for the third-most first-time winners in a season in LPGA history.
The 20-year-old Yin said, “I love competing. That's why I'm playing, right? Yeah, I'm excited to be in contention again going into Sunday.”
CIGANDA AND KIM HAVE HISTORY
Carlota Ciganda and Sei Young Kim have seen each other’s names together at the top of leaderboards in the past. The two went head-to-head in a playoff in 2016 at the Meijer LPGA Classic – Kim grabbed her fifth LPGA title with a birdie on the first playoff hole to stifle Ciganda’s attempt at her first LPGA win.
Earlier this season, Ciganda was the runner-up to Kim at the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic, but by a huge margin of nine strokes – Kim finished the week in Green Bay at 31-under par breaking the all-time LPGA 72-hole scoring record by four strokes.
OLDER AND WISER
Danielle Kang had a roller coaster round on her 26th birthday Saturday. Kang received a sweet treat in the morning, a birthday cake from her management team at IMG, but she quickly soured by opening her round with a bogey on the first hole. Ultimately, the major champion would score more birdies than bogeys on the day and still record her third consecutive under-par round of the week.
“I'm really proud that I ended up in a red number,” Kang said. “That was my goal for today. I told my caddie, Listen, it's not really working well. I don't know what's going on. He was telling me, Each shot is a new hole, but my main goal was to shoot under par. I don't care if it was one or three or whatever.”
ACE OF A DAY FOR EWART SHADOFF
Jodi Ewart Shadoff tied the low round of the tournament with her 7-under par 65 on Saturday. The round will certainly be a memorable one as it included two eagles in the form of an ace on the par 3 second hole and a bomb putt of nearly 70 feet on the par 5 17th.
Ewart Shadoff, who’s husband Adam is joining her in China this week, said she also had a hole-in-one in a practice round at last week’s LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship, making today’s ace the ninth of her lifetime and her second in the last 11 days.
PLAYER NOTES
Rolex Rankings No. 22 Carlota Ciganda (T1, -11)
- Ciganda, 28, is from Pamplona, Spain
- Ciganda is a two-time LPGA winner, with both wins coming in the span of one month in 2016 at the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship and the Citi Banamex Lorena Ochoa Invitational Presented by AeroMexico and Delta
- In 2018, Ciganda has five top-10 (three top-5s) finishes in 21 starts, including a runner-up result at the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic
- Ciganda has held the 54-hole lead twice in her career but never converted a win when doing so – she came from behind to win in both of her LPGA victories
- Ciganda has three wins on the Ladies European Tour and was the LET Rookie of the Year and Player of the Year in 2012
- Ciganda was a member of victorious Team Spain at the 2014 UL International Crown
Rolex Rankings No. 15 Sei Young Kim (T1, -11)
- Kim, 25, is from Seoul, Republic of Korea, 23
- Kim leads in a tournament after the third round for the 6th time in her LPGA career – three of her seven titles have come when she held at least a share of the 54-hole lead
- On the year, Kim ranks in the top 14 on Tour in first, second and fourth round scoring – she ranks 67th on Tour in third round scoring in 2018
- Kim is one of seven Korean players to win on the LPGA in 2018
- Kim’s only win in Asia was in China at the 2015 Blue Bay LPGA
- Kim is a seven-time LPGA winner, including the 2018 Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic where she finished at 31-under par breaking the all-time LPGA 72-hole scoring record by four strokes
- Kim and Brooke Henderson are the only players with LPGA Tour wins in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2018
Rolex Rankings No. 43 Brittany Altomare (T3, -10)
- Altomare, 27, is from Shrewsbury, Mass. and played collegiately at the University of Virginia
- In 2018, Altomare has one top-10 finish in 24 starts, a T3 at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G
- Altomare posted back-to-back rounds in the 60s in a tournament for just the fourth time this year
- In 2017, Altomare lost to Anna Nordqvist in a playoff at The Evian Championship to post a career-best runner-up
Rolex Rankings No. 37 Angel Yin (T3, -10)
- Yin, 20, is from Arcadia, Calif.
- Yin has nine career top-10 finishes and four in her second full season on Tour in 2018, including a career-best runner-up at the CP Women’s Open
- Yin posted a 1-1-1 record as a rookie on Team USA at the 2017 Solheim Cup
- Yin claimed her maiden professional title at the 2017 Omega Dubai Ladies Classic on the LET
Rolex Rankings No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn (T3, -10)
- Jutanugarn, 23, is from Bangkok, Thailand
- In 2018, Jutanugarn is tied for the Tour lead with three wins and leads the Tour with 14 overall top-10 finishes in 24 starts
- Jutanugarn won the 2018 Rolex ANNIKA Major Award – she is currently leading the standings for the Rolex Player of the Year, Race to the CME Globe and Vare Trophy
- Jutanugarn has never won an LPGA tournament in Asia – she has six wins in the U.S., two in Canada, one in England and one in Scotland
- Jutanugarn was the 2016 Rolex Player of the Year after capturing the first five titles of her LPGA career
Rolex Rankings No. 29 Danielle Kang (T3, -10)
- Kang, 25, is from San Francisco, Calif. and played collegiately at Pepperdine University
- Kang celebrated her 26th birthday on Saturday, October 20
- Kang finished T3 last week at the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship after missing the cut in five of her previous six starts – she is a combined 22-under par in her last seven rounds dating back to last week
- Kang has six top-10 finishes in 2018 including a tie for second at the HSBC Women’s World Championship
- Kang’s lone LPGA victory came at the 2017 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
- Kang posted a 3-1-0 record as a rookie on the victorious 2017 U.S. Solheim Cup Team
OF NOTE
Jodi Ewart Shadoff had a hole-in-one on the second hole, using a 6 iron from 180 yards
Four of the 20 players in the field from China are under par through two rounds – Yu Liu (7, -9), Wenbo Liu (T11, -7), Shanshan Feng (T20, -5) and Ruixin Liu (T25, -3)
There were six eagles on the par 4 14th hole in the third round, which played at 227 yards from the tee Saturday
The third round scoring average (71.330) was the lowest of the week
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