A LIM KIM BATTLES FOR SOLO LEAD WITH 18 HOLES TO PLAY AT THE LOTTE CHAMPIONSHIP

“It is simple. Trust my line, just hit it.”

A Lim Kim calls it like she sees it. Sticking to her game-plan on Friday of the LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei, Kim looks ahead with the first 54-hole lead of her LPGA Tour career at -14, one shot clear of 2024 LPGA Tour rookie Nataliya Guseva in second. The major champion, who last won on Tour over 1,400 days ago, shot a 5-under 67 to find herself atop the leaderboard in her third appearance in Hawaii.

Kim started the day in the penultimate grouping with Ruixin Liu, who struggled on Moving Day after carding a 3-over 75 and currently sits in a tie for 15th. Kim opened with birdies on Nos. 1 and 2, before dropping one back on No. 4. After another birdie (No. 5) and bogey on No. 7, Kim stepped to the 140-yard 9th with nothing to lose. Grabbing her 9-iron, the 29-year-old carded her first ace on Tour since 2022, switching up the momentum with nine holes to play.

“I feel comfortable and the confidence, but my plan same as yesterday and same as one week ago, ” said Kim, who credited “luck” to her hole-in-one. She made three straight pars after the turn before adding another birdie on No. 13. And despite a bogey on the 16th, she closed with birdies on her final two holes, including her third this week on No. 18.

A host of LPGA Tour winners and rookies looking to shine are lurking behind Kim, including Epson Tour alum Nataliya Guseva. In the final grouping on Friday, Guseva took advantage of milder conditions, notching four birdies in her first nine holes, including two on Nos. 8 and 9. She added another on No. 13, grabbing the solo lead with five holes remaining, before an unfortunate bogey on the 17th meant she’d be one back at -13 overall after 54 holes. Guseva, who has four top-10 finishes this season and is on the cusp of securing her first victory on the LPGA Tour, said she will take in Saturday like a “normal round of golf. ”

“At the end the day it's just golf. It's not pressure from crazy work. Yes, for sure it's work for us, but it's enjoyable work. It's a game. You have to treat it as a game, ” said Guseva. “That's how you know you're not going to have pressure, you're not going to have a lot of expectations, so just having fun out there. ”

Ryann O’Toole carded a 3-under 69 to sit in solo third at -11, while three players are tied for fourth at -10: two-time major champion Jin Young Ko and 2024 rookies Auston Kim and Yuri Yoshida. Ko is looking to make it eight straight years with at least one LPGA Tour victory, and would not mind visiting the winner’s circle for the 16th time in her Tour career.

“I just trying to focus myself. I focus very well today on the front nine especially. I don't know what was the difference than last couple days, ” said Ko. “Today was good day.”

Jeongeun Lee5 and Nasa Hataoka are tied for seventh at 9-under, while Grace Kim and Ashleigh Buhai round out the top 10 in a tie for ninth at 8-under. Buhai entered this week No. 63 in the Race to CME Globe, and will work towards a top 10 finish to project her into the top 60 towards her ultimate goal, the CME Group Tour Championship.

Angela Stanford, who has cited this is her final professional event of her LPGA Tour career, is -4 after a 3-under 69. Malia Nam, Hawaii’s own, is T58 at +2 overall.

LEADERBOARD - Round 3

    Player       To par  Score
1  A Lim Kim       -14 66-69-67—202
2  Nataliya Guseva -13 68-67-68—203
3  Ryann O’Toole   -11 70-66-69—205
T4 Jin Young Ko    -10 70-69-67—206
T4 Auston Kim      -10 71-66-69—206
T4 Yuri Yoshida    -10 68-67-71—206