After a stellar day of play at LPGA Q-Series, Korean So Mi Lee returns to the top of the leaderboard after five rounds at Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Magnolia Grove. With every player starting on the Crossings Course on Tuesday, scores began to separate players on the leaderboard as the tournament comes closer to an end.
The round of the day goes to Lee, who shot a bogey-free 63, matching the LPGA Q-Series course record, to move from a tie in second to solo first headed into the final, sixth round. Lee started off No. 1, paired with her playing opponents Robyn Choi and Yuri Yoshida. Headed into Tuesday, Lee looked to overcome Choi’s three-shot lead she had on the field. She claimed her first birdie of the day on the par-3 2nd hole before picking up an eagle two holes later on the par-5 4th hole. The 24-year-old grabbed another birdie on the second par 5 on the front nine, No. 6 before carding one more birdie on hole 9 to make the turn at five-under par. Lee sat at 23-under par for the first three holes on the back nine, and made birdies on Nos. 13 and 14 to gain two more strokes. She finished strong coming down the stretch, turning in back-to-back birdies on the par-3 17th and the par-4 18th for one last final push up to first place.
“To be honest, I feel pretty tired, but I’m trying not to think like I played five rounds – playing with the mindset that I can play five more rounds. I’m going to prepare tomorrow’s round like it’s the first round, so I don’t think that’s going to be an issue,” said Lee, who has won five times on the KLPGA. “I think both my shots and my putter have been pretty good. But golf is a sport where you’re hitting your shots well and putting well and your score isn’t that good. I’ve been talking with my mental coach throughout this and getting my mental game focused is I think another reason why my score has been good.”
Two shots behind Lee sits Choi, who carded a second-round 68 in her fifth round. Choi opened Tuesday’s round with a double bogey on No. 1 before following up with a birdie on the par-3 2nd hole. She continued to recover after her rocky start, carding back-to-back birdies on holes 5 and 6. The Aussie rattled off five pars before picking up another set of birdies on Nos. 12 and 13. In her last four holes on the Crossings Course, she had two birdies and a bogey on the last hole to sit at 25-under par.
“Apart from that (the first hole), I think wasn't too bad of a round I would say. I knew I had to kind of get it back going pretty quick, but luckily on the second hole I got the birdie back, which kind of helped me with the momentum going,” said Choi. “I am just going to keep it as it is. For me right now sitting atop the leaderboard, so I don't have as much pressure as some of the girls do out here. I think I'm just going to play my game and just let things roll and, you know, just see how it goes.”
Japanese players Mao Saigo and Yoshidasit in third and fourth place, respectively. Both players had been in a tie in second place alongside Lee entering into the second to last day of play. Twenty-two-year-old Saigo shot a bogey-free 66 to sit three shots behind the LPGA Q-Series leader and turn in her third consecutive scorecard that lacked bogeys. She grabbed two birdies on the par 4s, Nos. 3 and 7, and carded two sets of birdies on the back nine on holes 12 and 13, as well as 16 and 17. Yoshida sits three shots behind Saigo, and six shots behind first place headed into Wednesday. The three-time JLPGA winner made the turn at even par today, before making three birdies on her back nine to shoot 69.
Ten shots behind the leader sits 2023 LPGA Tour Rookies Polly Mack and Hyo Joon Jang as well as three-time KLPGA winner Yu Jin Sung at 17-under par for the tournament thus far. Most notably, Mack carded a seven-under 65 on Tuesday to move into the top 10 from a tie in 18th. After tomorrow’s play, players finishing in the top 45 and ties will earn 2024 LPGA eligibility, with players finishing in positions 1-20 and ties earn LPGA Tour status in Category 14 and players finishing in positions 21-45 and ties earn LPGA Tour status in Category 15.
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