The wind and the poa greens took Grace Kim (-7) out of her comfort zone on the third day of the JM Eagle LA Championship. What was a walk in the clouds on Thursday and Friday turned into a descent into hell on Saturday. She started the third day with a four-stroke lead over the second place and ended the day tied for the lead with 14 players within those four strokes of difference. The explanation is simple: a round of 76 strokes, ten more than on Friday and twelve more than on Thursday, and zero birdies. A derailment in all its rule.
The one who has best taken advantage of this forgettable day for Kim has been her compatriot Hannah Green (-7), the real diva of Hollywood from the LPGA Tour. The tournament is played at the Wilshire Country Club, wall to wall with the mecca of cinema in Los Angeles, and something like Hannah’s garden. She is the defending champion, has finished in the top three in the last three years and in four of her five participations she has started the last day in the top 5 of the tournament. A course made to her measure.
Green, who is looking for her second victory in 2024, handed in a very good result of 70 strokes, with three birdies, an eagle and four bogeys. A very busy card, but effective on a day where mistakes have been the order of the day due to the strong winds that have blown.
The intensity of the air began to gradually increase over the course of the day, so some of those who started in the early matches were able to take advantage of this slight advantage to make a radical leap in the standings. These are the cases of Nasa Hataoka (-5), who made 64 strokes, and especially Jin Hee Im (-6), who broke the course record with a result of 63 strokes, thirteen less than Kim, and has risen more than sixty positions. A moving day madness.
Also, fully involved in the fight for victory are the Europeans Esther Henseleit (-6) and Maja Stark (-6), who signed 71 and 73 strokes, respectively. Both are looking for their first victory of the year on the LPGA Tour and, in a way, to give a boost to their situation in the rankings, although the Swede already started to do so last week at the Chevron.
Carlota Ciganda (+1) could not take as much advantage as others of the fact of starting in the early matches. The Navarrese played in the first outing and alone. She signed 70 strokes, one under par, and climbed about thirty places, a great recovery, but insufficient to have chances of victory this Sunday.
