Dylan Kim (USGA photo)
VANCOUVER, British Columbia (July 26, 2018) – The American collegians are rising to the top at the Canadian Women’s Amateur. After 54 holes, Dylan Kim, a standout player at Arkansas, has a slim lead at Marine Drive Golf Club.
The stakes are high this week considering that a professional start is on the line. The field is playing for an exemption into the CP Women’s Open in August. It will take double digits under par for 72 holes to earn it.
So far, Kim is 12 under after firing a second round 5-under 66 on Thursday. She opened with 66, too, before falling to 69 in the second round. Kim was bogey free in the third round for the first time this week.
“I had a few good par saves, I made a 15-footer on 15 that was really big. I’m proud of the way I played today,” said the 21-year-old from Sachse, Tex. “I’ve putted really well, and I’ve been smart.”
Kim played a smart round, despite missing the fairway on a few holes.
“There are some tricky holes out here and it is narrow, so I think it is smart to know which side you can recover from and which side you can’t, so I’ve done that well,” she said. “I actually didn’t make that many fairways today. I don’t really know how many I hit, but I didn’t drive it that well, so I’m going to go work on that now.”
Yealimi Noh, the lone junior golfer atop the board, entered the week as one of the hottest players in amateur golf right now, and could add a major feather to her cap with a win on Friday. Noh won the Girls Junior PGA Championship and the U.S. Girls’ Junior in back-to-back weeks coming into this event. Rounds of 66-69-67 have her in second place after 54 holes, one shot behind Kim.
Noh started the round in a tie with Kim and another Kim, incoming Duke freshman Gina Kim. Noh tried hard to catch up to Dylan after she bogeyed her first hole and watched carefully at the end of the round as Dylan made her final putt on No. 18.
“This course is very challenging and narrow with all the trees. All the courses I’ve played in California aren’t really like this, it’s a little different,” said Noh, who has never played on a Canadian course.
Gina Kim carded three birdies and three bogeys to finish at even par, her first time in three rounds finishing with a score in the 70s. She remains at 7 under for the tournament, and in third.
Gina Kim, Dylan Kim and Noh will play together again tomorrow and make up the final grouping. Lilia Kha-Tu Vu, the UCLA junior named the WGCA Player of the Year, and USC players Allisen Corpuz and Jennifer Chang will go off in the next-to-last group. Vu is fourth at 7 under while Corpuz and Chang are tied for fifth at 6 under.
Defending champion Jennifer Kupcho, who set a course record with her opening 64 is tied for seventh, eight shots off the lead. Kupcho, a Wake Forest senior, lost ground with a second-round 75. She had 70 on Thursday.
Texas players Kaitlyn Papp (2 under, T-9) and Emilee Hoffman (1 under, T-11) are also in the mix. Arizona senior Haley Moore is also tied for 11th at 1 under. Her Wildcat teammate Bianca Pagdanganan is tied for 17th after a third-round 69.
ABOUT THE Canadian Women's Amateur
72 hole stroke play championship with a cut to the
low
70 and ties after two rounds.
This competition is open to female amateur golfers
who
are members of a golf club belonging to Golf Canada
or
holds a Gold membership with
Golf Canada or clubs in other countries, which are in
good standing with their respective Associations.
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