On a challenging afternoon of on and off wind gusts, Yealini Noh matched the low round of the day with a 67 to propel herself up the leaderboard and into the final group heading into Sunday's final round at the BMW Ladies Championship. Pine Beach Golf Club, the Republic of Korea's version of Pebble Beach Golf Links, lived up to its nickname for a second consecutive day as winds gusted upwards of 40 mph on moving day at the coastal course.

"It was tough with the wind. I think everyone was anticipating it, though, looking at the forecasts from the beginning of the week," Noh said about the conditions on Saturday. "It was really strong, but it was pretty strong the last few days, too. It's just really on and off. It was definitely stronger today, but there were some pockets where it was a little bit less windy."

Noh began the day six strokes off the pace of leader Sei Young Kim and struggled throughout the round to find fairways and greens, hitting just six fairways and 12 greens in the challenging conditions in which she often had to scramble just to make a par.

Holes Nos. 15 and 16 are particularly exposed to the wind on the coastal layout, and Noh says she had to take two additional clubs to reach the par three, 15th hole, where she came away with a par. At the par four, 16th hole, Noh says she hit a 3-wood off the tee rather than a driver to try and keep the ball in the fairway, but she still found the rough. Noh's second shot left her 30-feet from the hole which she two-putted to once again salvage a par. Her broomstick putter, which she switched to in 2023, once again proved to be reliable on Saturday as she needed just 27 putts.

"From the beginning of the week, my stroke's feeling really good. Hitting the ball really solid online and getting the speed down from yesterday," Noh said about her putting. "Yeah, the greens are great, too. Like some of them are a bit sandy, and then others are really great. So it's been good."

Noh heads into the final round in a tie for second with Nasa Hataoka, four-strokes back of Kim. She's hopeful that her solid start is one that she can build on, not only for Sunday's final round, but that she can also use it as a springboard to close out her season with the same strong play she displayed at the start of the year.

This week could mark the turning point in what has been a challenging stretch for Noh mid-way through the season. After she won in her first start of the year at the Founders Cup presented by U.S. Virgin Islands, she missed the cut in six of nine starts coming into the BMW Ladies Championship. Noh took some time to reset before returning to competition in Korea. She last competed at the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G in September and since then, Noh traveled to Thailand with a friend and arrived in Korea a week ahead of the BMW Ladies Championship to give herself some extra time.

The BMW Ladies Championship kicks off a busy stretch of golf for Noh who will become a first-time member of the U.S. Team at the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown, which is also being staged in Korea next week, and afterwards she'll make the trip to Malaysia to compete in the Maybank Championship.

"It's so exciting every time we get the opportunity to play with a partner, just someone to have your back," said Noh, who replaced Nelly Korda on the Crown team when she withdrew with an injury. "It's also really fun. It's almost like you're playing for fun at home with a friend. So really excited."

Noh's family is from Korea, and so for her to be a part of the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown with the opportunity to not only represent her country but also to compete in front of friends and family, it's a win-win. Noh got a taste of that experience at the BMW Ladies Championship on Saturday when her aunt, uncle, and cousin traveled to Pine Valley Golf Club to watch her compete and where, come Sunday, she'll try and chase down her second win of the season.

"I think everyone knows the Korean fans are passionate and love golf, and it's so awesome to see every year coming over here," Noh said about the experience competing this week. "I'm Korean, as well, so it's really cool to just be here and play in front of my family who is also here. It's really special."

Noh Battles Blustery Conditions, Matches Low Round of the Day

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