Chun In-gee in hunt for 1st LPGA win in 2 years

INCHEON, Oct. 13 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Chun In-gee climbed into the hunt for her first LPGA title in two years on Saturday.

Chun fired a six-under 66 in the third round at the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship at Sky 72 Golf Club's Ocean Course, adjacent to Incheon International Airport. At 10-under overall through 54 holes, Chun finds herself two shots off the lead heading into Sunday's final round.

Chun has two career LPGA wins and both of them have come at majors. Prior to the Evian title, Chun won the 2015 U.S. Women's Open before becoming an LPGA member.

Chun opened her third round with a bogey, but never had another the rest of the day. Her first birdie came at the par-4 fourth, and Chun reeled off three consecutive birdies starting at the ninth. She also picked up birdies at the 15th, 17th and 18th.

Charley Hull of England and Danielle Kang of the United States, two of the four co-leaders through Friday, remained tied at the top after 54 holes at 12-under. Hull had a bogey-free round of 68 on Saturday, while Kang had six birdies against two bogeys for her 68.

Lurking one stroke behind them is Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand, who shared the 36-hole lead with Hull and Kang and carded a 69 on Saturday.

The other co-leader from Friday, Park Sung-hyun of South Korea, had an up-and-down 71 to get to nine-under.

Park had six birdies along with three bogeys and a double bogey at the par-4 ninth.

Park has been at the top of the rankings since Aug. 20, but Jutanugarn will dethrone the South Korean with a win Sunday. Jutanugarn had been No. 1 for three weeks before Park overtook her.

Jutanugarn can still reclaim the No. 1 ranking with a top-four finish, depending on Park's final position.

Among other notables, Lydia Ko of New Zealand and Minjee Lee of Australia, both of Korean descent, are tied with Chun at 10-under.

The top 12 money winners from the Korea LPGA (KLPGA) Tour as of September were invited to compete here, and Bae Seon-woo, who won her second KLPGA title of the season last weekend, is leading the homegrown contingent at nine-under.

This is the final edition of the KEB Hana Bank Championship, which has been the lone LPGA stroke-play event held in South Korea since its launch in 2002 under a different corporate sponsor.

Earlier this week, Hana Financial Group announced it won't renew its contract with the LPGA and will instead begin hosting a KLPGA tournament at Sky 72 next October.

In March this year, the southeastern port city of Busan reached an agreement with the LPGA to host a stroke-play tournament for three years starting in 2019. BMW has signed on as the title sponsor.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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