Mi Hyang Lee of South Korea sank a 10-foot putt for par on the 18th hole and will take a one-stroke lead over Lexi Thompson into the final round of the Evian Championship, the last LPGA major of the year, at Evian Resort Golf Club in Evian-les-Bains, France.
The 22-year-old Lee bounced back from bogeys on the first two holes and was in a five-way tie for the lead at one time, but made three birdies on the last 10 holes to post a 1-under-par 70 after opening with 66-67.
“Oh, excited, excited,” Lee said of playing for her first major title and second of her LPGA Tour career after winning the Mizuno Championship last year. “I didn’t worry, no (about her slow start). Just first two holes. I have another 16 holes today, so that’s fine.”
Thompson, who shared the first-round lead with Lee at 66, regained her putting stroke after a 72 and posted another 66 that included her only bogey on the 16th hole.
After taking 36 putts in the second round, Lexi needed only 25 this time.
“I just kind of figured out a little something with my putting that worked and that helped me out today,” said Thompson, who claimed her only major title in the 2014 Kraft Nabisco. “I didn’t hit it that great off the tee today. I hit it a lot better off the tee yesterday, but I just got more putts today.”
Morgan Pressel was tied for the lead with Lee going to the final hole but hit her approach shot into the water to make a double-bogey 6 that left her at 71. She is two shots back in a tie for third with Lydia Ko of New Zealand, who finished at 67 and can regain the No. 1 spot in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings with a victory.
Amy Yang of South Korea shot 68 and was another stroke behind in a tie for fifth with Shanshan Feng of China, who totaled 70, and Nicole Broch Larsen of Norway, who came in at 71.
Top-ranked Inbee Park of South Korea, who can complete the Career Grand Slam with a victory in the Evian, needs to go low on Sunday for that to happen after carding a 70 that left her eight shots behind in a tie for 16th that included Michelle Wie of Stanford, who also had a 70.
