Yealimi Noh has made 33 cuts across 38 starts (87%) since the 2018 CP Women’s Open where, not yet a LPGA Tour Member, she competed as a tournament sponsor exemption. If her time so far on the biggest stage in women’s professional golf has taught us anything, it’s that Noh’s game travels.
Through 54 holes in the Amundi Evian Championship, the second-year rookie is 13-under overall and in outright second. The 19-year-old found three straight birdies to finish off a 4-under effort on Saturday.
“I think I was kind of in a rut, I guess, hitting my iron shots,” Noh said following a third-round 67. “After the turn, I wasn’t hitting it as well. The [tee] shot on No. 16 really boosted my confidence because I was hitting a lot of left to right shots today, a lot of little cuts, but it wasn’t working the way I wanted to. On that hole, I was debating whether or not I should do that again but I trusted it and turned out really well so that gave me a lot of confidence for the final couple holes.”
Noh is not only in contention for her first career LPGA Tour title, but a maiden top-10 finish at a major championship. She will continue to showcase her calm demeanor on the course to make a run at Evian Resort Golf Club on Sunday, despite this week marking her eighth straight on the road.
“I think I’m able to stay calm throughout the round, most of the time. Just in general under the pressure, I’m good at staying calm and playing my game, letting it get to where it is,” said Noh, who heads into the final round at Evian Resort Golf Club trailing the lead by five strokes. “Finishing well at a couple LPGA events early in my career [like the Cambia Portland Classic and Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic] gave me the confidence right away to be like, ‘Okay, I can do it out here.’
“Not just once, but twice. That’s mainly what drives me.”
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