Iwai leads the LOTTE Championship with wind; Korda lurks.

Akie Iwai Leads LOTTE Championship After Challenging Round

HONOLULU – Akie Iwai showed her mettle at Hoakalei Country Club, facing strong winds to take the lead in the third round of the LOTTE Championship. The Japanese golfer, who already has an LPGA Tour title, held firm in difficult conditions. Iwai, 23, completed the round with a score card of 71 strokes, one under par, which led her to a total of 203 strokes, 13 under par. Her victory at the Portland Classic last August marked her first win on the LPGA Tour.

I don’t change. I just keep moving forward. I smile and have fun.

Akie Iwai

A group of eight players is one stroke away from Iwai, promising an exciting finish to the tournament. Among them are Youmin Hwang and Nelly Korda, the latter two strokes behind the leader. Youmin Hwang, who was leading after the second round, had a less outstanding performance with a round of 75 strokes, which relegated her to a tie for second position. Minami Katsu, Hyo Joo Kim, Megan Khang, Peiyun Chien, Brooke Matthews, Pornanong Phatlum, and Jessica Porvasnik are also in the fight.

I’m sure there will be a lot of wind tomorrow too. Hopefully, I will try to be patient.

Minami Katsu

Nelly Korda, ranked second, achieved a birdie on the 18th hole, finishing the day with 69 strokes and a total of 11 under par. Korda, who hasn’t achieved any victories this year, seeks to regain her best form and climb the rankings. The current tour season has seen different winners in each of the 24 official tournaments.

For me, the most important thing is to give 100% on every shot. That’s what I’ll do tomorrow. You never know. Golf is an unpredictable sport. Sports are unpredictable.

Nelly Korda

Nasa Hataoka is also in the running with a cumulative score of 11 under par, after a round of 71 strokes. Defending champion, A Lim Kim, seeks to move up the ranks with a round of 66 strokes, which brought her to a total of 10 under par. Iwai demonstrated his resilience after a bogey on the 12th hole, achieving an impressive up-and-down on the 13th hole, which allowed him to add six consecutive pars. Although he did not achieve a birdie on the 18th hole, his overall performance was outstanding. In the 13th hole, Iwai avoided a second consecutive bogey thanks to an excellent recovery from a bunker. He has shown consistency by reaching 46 of 54 greens in regulation in three days.

I’d say I’m a hit creator.

Akie Iwai

Akie Iwai’s twin sister, Chisato, has also been successful on the circuit this year, winning the Mayakoba event in May. On Friday’s round, Chisato was at 9 under par after a round of 71. After this tournament, the LPGA will head to Asia for a series of events for five consecutive weeks, which will be held in Shanghai, South Korea, Malaysia, and Japan.