Hyo Joo Kim on course for a wire-to-wire victory

The Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America R3

Hyo Joo Kim is on course for a wire-to-wire victory after closing with a 70 to take a five-shot lead at 11-under into the final day at the Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America.

Strong winds that began late in the day on Friday gave the players  a challenge on Moving Day. The scoring average for round three at Old American Golf Club was 73.505, nearly two strokes higher than Friday’s average and more than two and a half strokes over par. Only 19 players managed to shoot an even-par score or better on Saturday.

“Today was a lot chillier than the last two days and definitely windier too, so maybe because of that I made a few mistakes early on. But I saw the leaderboard and it seemed like everyone else was feeling the same difficulty as me,” said Kim. “Carding two bogeys wasn’t a good start for my momentum but I tried to not to look at the leaderboard much. I focused on creating birdie opportunities and making sure I converted them.”

Kim was 2-over through six holes after bogeys on the par-4 No. 4 and par-5 No. 6 but recovered with birdies on 8 and a chip-in on 13 before another bogey on 14 put her back over par.

She drove the green on 15 for a two-putt birdie and sank a 25-foot putt on 16 to move to 1-under on the day. Two solid pars on 17 and 18, including a par-save on the last, gave her a comfortable lead entering Championship Sunday.

“Oh, you’re right. I didn’t even think of that,” said Kim when asked what a wire-to-wire victory would mean to her. “I’m sure as I’m playing tomorrow, the thought of winning will pop up in my head. But I just want to do my best to play the way that I’m satisfied with and the way that I want to.”

Australian Sarah Kemp (69) and American Lexi Thompson (71) are tied in second place at 6-under.

“I would say probably my best shot was after my not-so-great shot on 17,” said Thompson. “Hit a pretty good 30-yard flop shot pitch up to about 12 feet and ended up making birdie. Yeah, there were a few (good shots). Overall just happy with how I committed to my shots out there. There was a few not-so-great shots, but it’s golf. I’ll focus on the good ones and take that into tomorrow.

Sweden’s Frida Kinhult shot one of the low-rounds of the day, a 3-under 68, to take the solo fourth place at 5-under.

Pos.PlayerTo ParR1R2R3Total
1Hyo Joo Kim-11646870202
T2Sarah Kemp-6677169207
T2Lexi Thompson-6716571207
4Frida Kinhult-5716968208
T5So Yeon Ryu-4726968209
T5Sarah Schmelzel-4707069209
T5Nicole Broch Estrup-4697070209
T8Bianca Pagdanganan-3707070210
T8Atthaya Thitikul-3706971210
T8Maria Torres-3696873210
T8Celine Boutier-3696774210
T8Sofia Garcia-3666876210
T13Katherine Muzi-2736969211
T13Wei-Ling Hsu-2727069211
T13Dottie Ardina-2727069211
T13Mariajo Uribe-2697171211
T13Leona Maguire-2706774211
T18Jing Yan-1747068212
T18Sarah Jane Smith-1717071212
T18Lindsey Weaver-Wright-1687371212
T18Yuna Nishimura-1696974212
T18Yu-Sang Hou-1667274212
T23Eun-Hee JiPar737070213
T23Jodi Ewart ShadoffPar717270213
T23Charley HullPar726972213
T23Ally EwingPar717072213
T23Emily Kristine PedersenPar707172213
T23Jenny ShinPar687372213
T23Gerina MendozaPar736773213
T23Marina AlexPar677076213
T31Maria Fassi+1727171214
T31Jeongeun Lee6+1717271214
T31Cydney Clanton+1726874214
T31Weiwei Zhang+1697174214
T31Azahara Munoz+1667177214
T36Ruixin Liu+2717272215
T36Minami Katsu+2687572215
T36Gemma Dryburgh+2717173215
T36Hannah Green+2697373215
T36Annie Park+2736874215
T36Cheyenne Knight+2707174215
T36Xiaowen Yin+2716975215
T36Jennifer Chang+2697175215
T44Yealimi Noh+3697473216
T44Pavarisa Yoktuan+3736875216
T44Louise Ridderstrom+3697275216
T44Aline Krauter+3716976216
T48Dewi Weber+4727273217
T48Jaravee Boonchant+4727174217
T48Su Oh+4736975217
T48Wichanee Meechai+4717175217
T48Lauren Stephenson+4717175217
T48Amelia Lewis+4707176217
T48Hyo Joon Jang+4726877217
T55Karis Davidson+5737174218
T55Kiira Riihijarvi+5727274218
T55Paula Creamer+5727274218
T55Ana Belac+5727274218
T55Min Lee+5766775218
T55Lucy Li+5756875218
T55Maddie Szeryk+5717176218
T55A Lim Kim+5726779218
T63Luna Sobron Galmes+6737175219
T63Caroline Inglis+6727275219
T63Albane Valenzuela+6746976219
T63Chanettee Wannasaen+6697179219
T67Lauren Miller+7727276220
T67Ilhee Lee+7727177220
T67Pornanong Phatlum+7697378220
T70Gabriella Then+8697577221
T70Polly Mack+8717080221
72Jeongeun Lee5+9727278222
73Brittany Lang+10737179223
CUTGaby Lopez+37669
CUTIn Kyung Kim+37570
CUTGina Kim+37471
CUTArpichaya Yubol+37471
CUTNarin An+37372
CUTLauren Hartlage+37273
CUTPaula Reto+37273
CUTJennifer Song+37273
CUTMarissa Steen+37273
CUTJasmine Suwannapura+37273
CUTBrianna Do+37174
CUTDana Fall+37174
CUTAlexa Pano+37174
CUTBronte Law+37075
CUTValery Plata+47670
CUTManon De Roey+47472
CUTMaelynn Kim (a)+47472
CUTInes Laklalech+47373
CUTRiley Rennell+47373
CUTEmma Talley+47373
CUTBrittany Lincicome+47274
CUTJune Song (a)+47274
CUTAngela Stanford+47274
CUTKim Kaufman+47175
CUTEllinor Sudow+57869
CUTLindy Duncan+57572
CUTMariah Stackhouse+57473
CUTElizabeth Szokol+57473
CUTYan Liu+57374
CUTSamantha Wagner+57374
CUTMina Harigae+57275
CUTNanna Koerstz Madsen+67771
CUTLinnea Johansson+67672
CUTChristina Kim+67573
CUTMel Reid+67573
CUTStacy Lewis+67474
CUTPernilla Lindberg+67375
CUTKristy McPherson+67375
CUTHinako Shibuno+67375
CUTDori Carter+67177
CUTPauline Roussin+66979
CUTBrittany Altomare+77673
CUTKum-Kang Park+77673
CUTEmilee Hoffman+77574
CUTSophia Schubert+77475
CUTNatalie Yen (a)+98071
CUTSydnee Michaels+97873
CUTEllie Szeryk (a)+97675
CUTAmanda Doherty+97477
CUTCeline Herbin+127678
CUTSadena Parks+137679
CUTAllison Emrey+147482
CUTSoo Bin Joo+157681
CUTJill McGill+167682
W/DIn Gee Chun74
W/DNatalie Gulbis78
Updated: October 8, 2023
The Ascendant LPGA benefiting Volunteers of America 2023
Date: 5th October - 8th October, 2023
Location: Old American Golf Club, The Colony, Texas
Purse: $1,800,000