HONOLULU – Lim Kim had a hole-in-one on the par-3 ninth and carded the final two holes for 5-under 67s and one stroke over Nataliya Guseva on Friday at the Lotte Championship.
“Count the number and pick a line and hit it,” Kim said with an ace. “I think you’re 99% lucky.”
Kim rebounded from a bogey on the par-4 16th with birdies on the par-4 17th and par-5 18th. He had a total of 14-under 202 at the breezy Hoakalei Country Club with a round remaining in the event that began Wednesday.
“Every tournament I think the same thing — focus on my line and hit it,” Kim said. “Of course. Whatever the outcome, I don’t care.”
Kim is number 65 in the race to the CME Globe, and has just two tournaments left to crack the top 60 and earn a spot in the season finale that pays $4 million to the winner. The 29-year-old South Korean won the US Women’s Open in December 2020 for her only LPGA Tour title.
Guseva, a 21-year-old player trying to become the first Russian winner in LPGA Tour history, shot 68. He played 17 times for the third day in a row.
“I enjoy playing there,” said Guseva. “There’s still a lot of wind, but not like yesterday. I’m very excited about the future.”
Ryann O’Toole was third at 11 under after a 69. He was not happy with the level of play.
“It’s moving very slowly. It sounds like a turtle is moving slowly,” O’Toole said.
Jin Young Ko shot a 67 to join Auston Kim (69) and Yuri Yoshida (71) at 10 under.
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