KPMG WOMEN’S PGA CHAMPIONSHIP
Kang, Choi leading after third round at Olympia Fields
Normally on July 1, Brooke Henderson relaxes at her cottage back home and watches fireworks at night.
It’s how she has spent Canada Day in the past, but not this year.
Instead, Henderson was at Olympia Fields for the third round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Henderson, who is one of just two Canadians competing in the event, shot a 2-under 69 Saturday, which put her at 7-under for the tournament.
“It’s amazing — 150 years,” Henderson said. “To be able to represent my country at the Olympics last year, and then every time I’m out on the course all over the world, I’m very proud to be a Canadian.”
Although Henderson couldn’t celebrate her home country’s birthday, she heard plenty “Happy Canada Days” outbursts throughout the day.
“If I win (Sunday),” she said, “I think that would be the best present I could give them.”
The 19-year-old Henderson, who put herself on the map last year by winning the Women’s PGA Championship, made five birdies to finish the day alone in fourth, three strokes out of the lead.
American Danielle Kang and Korean Chella Choi shared the lead at 10-under. Korean Jiyai Shin was third at 8-under.
“With a major championship,” Henderson said, “really, it comes down to the back nine on Sunday.”
Shin took advantage of an early tee time and posted the best round of the day Saturday — a bogey-free 64 — to move into prime position. She played the back nine in 5-under 30 to grab the clubhouse lead while the leaders were out on the course.
It’s a rare U.S. tournament for Shin, who left the LPGA Tour a couple of years ago and moved to Japan to be closer to her family.
“I think I’m pretty lucky because I started a little bit early in the morning,” she said. “That’s why (it was) easy to make a few birdies.”
Kang and Sei Young Kim were tied for the lead after the second round. But while Kim stumbled to a 72 as the wind picked up in the afternoon, Kang had five birdies and two bogeys. The last of those birdies came on the final hole.
Kang saved par on No. 12 with a perfect bunker shot and then birdied the par-4 14th to get to 10-under for the first time.
“The key is to dissect which holes you need to give yourself a par opportunity,” Kang said. “And then (the) 18th hole, no matter (how), you have to give yourself a birdie putt.”
Shin and Choi also birdied 18, while Henderson, Kang and Kim made par.
Choi had four birdies and no bogeys. She credited her solid play to her father, Ji Yeon Choi, who is caddying for her again. Her play suffered when he retired following her only LPGA Tour victory in the 2015 Marathon Classic.
“I played bad, so my mom tell my dad (to) go help Chella,” she said.
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