04/18/26 09:59:00
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04/18 21:58 CDT Sei Young Kim blows all but 2 strokes of 8-shot lead in Los
Angeles
Sei Young Kim blows all but 2 strokes of 8-shot lead in Los Angeles
LOS ANGELES (AP) --- Sei Young Kim had an eight-stroke lead with five holes
left Saturday at El Caballero Country Club in the JM Eagle LA Championship. She
ended up needing to get up-and-down from off the back of the 18th green to
salvage a two-shot advantage.
"Oh, wow, it feels like roller-coaster," the 33-year-old South Korean said.
Her late meltdown with four straight bogeys gave two-time event winner Hannah
Green and others who thought they were playing for second a chance Sunday in
the final event before the first women's major of the season.
"It's golf. It can be happen again," Kim said. "It's learn and then learn and
learn. Mistake and then learn. Hopefully, success end of the day tomorrow."
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.
"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 tournament purse was increased by $1 million to $4.75
million, with JM Eagle CEO Walter Wang announcing the move during an interview
on Golf Channel.
The new purse is the highest on the tour outside of the major championships and
the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. The winner Sunday will get
$712,500, up from $562,500.
"Amazing news for all us players," Green said.
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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
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