By: Max Bechtoldt
What’s Hollywood without a bit of drama? While it seemed like the 2024 JM Eagle LA Championship could be a runaway victory for the young Australian Grace Kim, scores both low and high have set up one of the most intriguing final rounds of the season.
Let’s start with the positives first.
Rookie Jin Hee Im, coming off a strong week at the Chevron Championship, set the course tournament record with a nine under 63. Im hit 12 fairways and 16 greens while recording only 27 putts. Im sits in third place, one behind the leaders Hannah Green and Kim.
Also taking advantage of the easier conditions early in the day was Nasa Hataoka (above). The Japanese superstar is looking for her second win at Wilshire Country Club and her seventh title on the LPGA Tour overall. Hataoka hit every fairway and only needed 25 putts to shoot -8 and get herself in the top 10, two strokes back of the lead.
Green had one of the best scores of the afternoon wave, with a tough, two under 70. The weather wasn’t the main issue according to the defending champion, but the predictably unpredictable poa annua greens.
“I felt like I hit it better than the score produced. It was just really tough to hole putts out there,” said Green.
Now onto the not as positive. Grace Kim came into the third round with a four-shot lead, looking to maintain. After two incredible rounds, her total score has gone back to her initial first round number at -7. The putter really let Kim down, with 36 for the round.
“I think just the poa annua greens in the afternoon get very bumpy and was probably the worst today. That’s kind of a given,” said Kim. “As you can see, it’s tough for everyone today. Yeah, it was just one of those days. It’s just golf.”
Despite the third round struggles, Kim is still firmly in strong position, tied with fellow Australian Hannah Green, one stroke ahead.
At the beginning of round three, one player was within four strokes, Maja Stark. Now, there are 14.
