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Georgia Hall makes rapid climb up LA Open leaderboard in third round

April 2, 2023

PALOS VERDES — Saturday was moving day at the LPGA DIO Implant LA Open at Palos Verdes Golf Club and no player in the field did more moving than Georgia Hall.

Starting the day nine shots behind the leaders, Hall went out and matched her career low score of 9-under, highlighted by a front nine 29 which included two eagles in the span of three holes. As a result of her spectacular play Hall finds herself alone in third place at 10-under 203, four shots behind leader Ruoning Yin heading into Sunday’s final round.

“I was like 7-under after 9 and I was like, wow, I’ve never had this before,” Hall said. “I was just trying to forget about my previous holes (on the back nine) and take each shot one at a time It’s been quite nice to me so far this week.”

Hall finished second at last week’s LPGA event in Arizona, losing to Celine Boutier in a playoff. She said her early season success has given her plenty of confidence coming into this week’s tournament.

“Although I lost in the playoff, I hit some really good shots and long game was really solid today,” Hall said. “So, just really pleased where I’m playing and just trying to keep it going.”

Yin fired a third round 4-under 67, giving her a two-shot cushion on Hyo Joo Kim who posted a 2-under 69 on Saturday. Hall is third, followed by a large group of players at 9 under that includes former Westlake Village resident Danielle Kang. Like Hall, Kang used a strong third round performance to put herself in contention, firing a 6-under 65 on Saturday.

Based on how well Yin has played through the first three rounds, it’s going to take a monumental effort by anyone in the field to rally from behind and catch the second-year pro on Sunday. Yin started the round tied with Kim at 10 under, and after some front nine struggles, she found herself three off the lead.

But a birdie on the ninth gave Yin some momentum heading into the back nine and thanks to a stretch where she had four birdies in five holes, Yin raced to the top of the leaderboard. Since she’s never won on the LPGA Tour, the 20-year-old professional expects to have a few nerves on the first tee Sunday but said after she hits that first tee ball it should be business as usual.

“I’ll just play my game,” Yin said. “I know I can make birdies so I just need to be patient. I will stick to my routine, wake up, go work out and then come to the course.”

Yin plans to call upon the experience she gained on the China LPGA Tour where she won three consecutive tournaments. Having confidence in her game was a key to rebounding from her slow start and getting her game on track.

“After I made a bogey on 8 with a three-putt (her second consecutive three-putt), I just told myself and I told my caddie, we just got to trust the line and putt it. We’ll make some putts,” Yin said.

That’s exactly what she did, using a hot putter to make three straight birdies and four in five holes, giving her the two-shot lead she holds at 54-holes, the first time in her career she has held the 54-hole lead.”

Through the first nine holes on Saturday, it looked like Kim might be the player at the top of the leaderboard by day’s end as she used a hot putter to build a three-shot lead. But when her putter cooled on the back nine, Kim had difficulty scoring, causing her to scramble to stay in contention.

Now in her eighth year on the LPGA Tour and having won five times, including the 2014 Evian Championship, Kim knows what it will take on Sunday to win. Despite being two shots down she said if she plays her game over the final 18 holes she feels she has a good chance to win.

For Kang, Sunday represents an opportunity to try to win a tournament in front of the many friends and family members who always turn out to support her when she plays in Southern California.

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Despite having to deal with mud on her ball throughout the round because of the recent rains, Kang managed to find a way to hit enough good shots to put herself in contention.

“This golf course is just testing a lot of people’s patience,” Kang said. “The greens are not as easy as it may seem. I know we have a lot of scorable holes with wedges in your hands, but, it does test all parts of your game, and I think it’s a really good place to play golf. Brad, my caddie, keeps telling me don’t get frustrated on the greens. You know you’re hitting it well. Today I didn’t hit it as well and I putted well, so that’s just how golf works.”

As for winning at home, Kang said it would be special.

“I do want to win in California,” Kang said. “Watching Max Homa win in hometowns is really, really cool, right? Sometimes you have that hometown crowd. It’s really fun to play in front of my friends and my — they call them my entourage, but it’s cool to have them come out. I know they’re a bit loud, so I apologize. It’s been fun.”

Orange County Register

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Georgia Hall makes rapid climb up LA Open leaderboard in third round

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