The wind at Boca Rio Golf Club may have been tough, but Danielle Kang’s fight during the third round of the Gainbridge LPGA was tougher. Kang, who held the 36-hole co-lead with friend Lydia Ko, got as low as -12 by the time she made the turn, but three bogeys on the back nine kept her two shots out of the 54-hole lead at -9 overall after a Saturday 74. Despite the difficult conditions, Kang is in prime position to win consecutive tournaments for the second time in her career, after accomplishing the feat at the Drive On Championship at Inverness and the Dana Open presented by Marathon in 2020.
“Trusting what I needed to do was really tough. My short game was great. Hit to a lot of four-, five-footers, and missed a lot of them today,” said Kang. “It's okay. I'm proud that I just stayed in it and have a chance tomorrow.”
Kang said she “checked out” at one point during the round but regained her focus to finish out as close to the top as possible. The major champion hopes to make it two American wins to start the season for the second-straight year after Jessica and Nelly Korda achieved it in 2021, and she is hoping for better weather as she looks to put on a good show.
“For me, I just need to keep trusting my game. I'm going to go putt a little bit and hope that tomorrow I could just play some good golf and be entertaining for a lot of people.”
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