Akie Iwai leads the LOTTE Championship after a close third round
HONOLULU – Akie Iwai showed her mettle by navigating the strong winds at Hoakalei Country Club this Friday, securing the lead in the third round of the LOTTE Championship. With eight players breathing down her neck just one stroke behind and Nelly Korda two strokes back, the competition remains fierce. Iwai, the 23-year-old Japanese golfer, who conquered the Portland Classic in August for her first title on the LPGA Tour, delivered a card of 71 strokes, one under par, in the difficult afternoon conditions, accumulating a total of 203 strokes, 13 under par.Youmin Hwang, who led after the second round and achieved her personal best with 62 strokes on Thursday, had a round of 75 strokes, which placed her in a tie for second place alongside Minami Katsu (66), Hyo Joo Kim (66), Megan Khang (67), Peiyun Chien (68), Brooke Matthews (69), Pornanong Phatlum (69), and Jessica Porvasnik (72).“There are no changes. Just keep going,” commented Iwai. “Keep smiling and enjoy.”
Akie Iwai
Nelly Korda, currently in second place in the ranking, achieved a birdie on the 18th hole, finishing with a round of 69 strokes and reaching a total of 11 under par. After a season in which he achieved seven victories, Korda has yet to achieve any victories this year and lost his number one ranking position to Jeeno Thitikul. The tour has seen a different winner in each of the 24 official tournaments this year.“I’m sure there will be a lot of wind tomorrow too,” said Katsu. “Hopefully, I’ll try to be patient.”
Minami Katsu
Nasa Hataoka also placed at 11 under par after a round of 71. Defending champion, A Lim Kim, achieved a 66 to place at 10 under par. Iwai demonstrated his resilience after a bogey on the 12th hole, achieving a spectacular up-and-down on the 13th hole, marking the first of six consecutive pars. He had the opportunity to extend his lead on the 18th hole, but his birdie attempt did not materialize.“For me, the most important thing is to give 100% on every shot,” Korda expressed. “That’s what I’ll do tomorrow. You never know. Golf is an unpredictable sport. Sports are unpredictable.”
Nelly Korda
In the 13th hole, Iwai avoided a second consecutive bogey after hitting into a huge fairway bunker and leaving his approach at 56 yards. He managed a wedge to 3 feet to start his streak of pars and has reached 46 of 54 greens in regulation in three days.“I’m going to forget what happened today and prepare for tomorrow,” declared Iwai.
Akie Iwai
Iwai carded a 64 on Wednesday, securing the lead in the first round, and then a 68 on Thursday, finishing three strokes behind Hwang, the Korean LPGA star participating with a sponsor’s invitation. Iwai’s twin sister, Chisato, has also succeeded this year as a rookie on the tour, winning the Mayakoba event in May. On Friday, Chisato was at 9 under par after a round of 71. After this event, the LPGA will head to Asia for a series of tournaments for five consecutive weeks in Shanghai, South Korea, Malaysia, and Japan.“I would say I am a hitmaker,” Iwai stated.
Akie Iwai
