Sei Young Kim blows all but 2 strokes of 8-shot lead in Los Angeles

Kim shot a 1-under 71 to get to 15-under 201. Green, the 2023 and 2024 champion at Wilshire Country Club, had a 67 to join Suvichaya Vinijchaitham (67), Jessica Porvasnik (68) and Ina Yoon (71) at 13 under. Former UCLA star Patty Tavatanakit was another stroke back after a 67.

Amateur Aphrodite Deng of Calgary, Alta., the only Canadian to survive the cut, is in a six-way tie for 36th at 5 under.

“I’m just going to go out there and play golf,” Tavatanakit said.

The tournament is being played at El Caballero for the second straight year because of course renovations at Wilshire. The Chevron Championship is next week in Houston for the first of the five women’s major tournaments.

A shot ahead entering to day, Kim birdied the par-5 first and all the other odd-numbered holes on the front nine, running in a 20-footer on the par-3 ninth for a seven-stroke lead. She pushed the lead to eight before falling back with the bogeys on Nos. 14-17.

“Every hole is downwind starting 15 until the 18,” said Kim, who hit into the water on 16 going aggressively at a difficult pin. “I was struggling with the downwind today.”

She won the BMW Ladies Championship last year at home in South Korea for the last of her 13 LPGA Tour titles.

“I’m very confident, but I just keep doing what I’m doing the last couple days,” Kim said. “That’s what I can do the best. So we’ll see tomorrow.”

Green has three worldwide wins this year — the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore on the LPGA Tour and the Women’s Australian Open and Australian WPGA in her home country.

“I don’t really know where they put the pin locations for tomorrow, but I’m sure they’ll be tricky and there will be some holes that will probably play easy,” Green said. “I’ve noticed the last two days the wind is kind of switched at times so that will be tricky to manage. The ball is going far off the tee.”

Amateur Asterisk Talley was tied for 23rd at 7 under after a 69. The 17-year-old Talley is playing her first event since losing the lead on the back nine in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

During the round, the sponsors raised the purse $1 million to $4.75 million.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

The Associated Press

by The Canadian Press

Sei Young Kim blows all but 2 strokes of 8-shot lead in Los Angeles

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