Sei Young Kim’s eight-stroke lead nearly vanished Saturday at El Caballero Country Club, setting up what could be a dramatic Sunday finish at the JM Eagle LA Championship.
“Oh, wow, it feels like roller-coaster,” Kim said after watching her commanding advantage shrink to just two shots following a late-round collapse.
Kim stumbled with four consecutive bogeys on holes 14-17, giving two-time champion Hannah Green and a handful of contenders unexpected hope heading into the final round of the last event before the season’s first major.
“It’s golf. It can be happen again,” Kim admitted. “It’s learn and then learn and learn. Mistake and then learn. Hopefully, success end of the day tomorrow.”
The 33-year-old South Korean posted a 1-under 71 to reach 15-under 201, with Green (67), Suvichaya Vinijchaitham (67), Jessica Porvasnik (68) and Ina Yoon (71) all sitting at 13 under. Former UCLA star Patty Tavatanakit lurks just three shots back after firing a 67.
“I’m just going to go out there and play golf,” Tavatanakit said simply.
Kim started the day with a one-shot advantage and quickly built momentum. She birdied the par-5 first and every other odd-numbered hole on the front nine, including a 20-footer on the par-3 ninth that pushed her lead to seven strokes. The advantage grew to eight before things unraveled.
“Every hole is downwind starting 15 until the 18,” Kim explained. “I was struggling with the downwind today.”
On the 16th, an aggressive play at a difficult pin position found the water, contributing to her back-nine troubles.
Kim’s last LPGA Tour victory came at the 2023 BMW Ladies Championship in her home country, her 13th career title. Despite the late stumbles, she remains confident.
“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 brings significant momentum into Sunday’s final round. She’s already claimed three worldwide wins this year — the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore on the LPGA Tour plus 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 sits tied for 23rd at 7 under after posting a 69. The 17-year-old is making her first start since her heartbreaking back-nine collapse at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.
Purse Boost Announced
In a significant development during Saturday’s broadcast, JM Eagle CEO Walter Wang revealed during a Golf Channel interview that the tournament purse has increased by $1 million to $4.75 million.
The enhanced purse now ranks as the highest on tour outside the major championships and season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. Sunday’s winner will receive $712,500, up from the previously announced $562,500.
“Amazing news for all us players,” Green said.
The tournament is being played at El Caballero for the second consecutive year due to ongoing renovations at Wilshire Country Club, where Green won in both 2023 and 2024. The Chevron Championship, the first women’s major of the season, begins next week in Houston.
