Jenny Bae was unable to make the most of a strong start to the third round of the LPGA Riviera Maya Open but held on to a one-stroke lead heading into Sunday’s final round.The 23-year-old rookie started with three straight birdies but was unable to capitalize on that momentum, finishing with a one-under 71.Bae’s impressive start was followed by a bogey on the par-four sixth but the back nine proved challenging as she had to settle for pars before ending with bogey on the final hole.”I was definitely a little nervous and tense heading into the third round,” Bae admitted.
“The three birdies back-to-back-to-back were a big confidence booster for me (but) I didn’t finish as well as I wanted to, but that’s OK. It just tells me I need to fight more in the last 18 holes.”Chasing closely behind Bae are Japan’s Chisato Iwai and China’s Zhang Yahui, who both shot four-under 68s on Saturday to climb to a tie for second at six-under.Zhang said she simply focused on conserving pars on tougher holes while being aggressive on scoring opportunities. “I just wanted to save all the pars.
If the hole was difficult, I aimed to keep it on the fairway and on the green. But for par-fives or shorter par-fours, I would really try to make birdies,” she added.Iwai, meanwhile, delivered one of the cleanest rounds of the day, bouncing back from a second-round 74 to put herself firmly in contention. Her 68 included four birdies, capped by a pair on the final two holes. Australia’s Gabriela Ruffels sits alone in fourth after a steady 71. A cluster of players, including Lindy Duncan, Brianna Do and Germany’s Aline Krauter, shared fifth at four-under.
Sat, 24 May 2025 23:38:17 GMT
