By: Max Bechtoldt
Japan’s Mao Saigo shot a bogey-free 65 in the third round of the Buick LPGA Shanghai to take a one-stroke lead heading into the final round.
Saigo got off to a solid start on the front nine, with seven pars, and birdies on three and four, before a terrific back side. After the turn, Saigo made birdies on 12, 13 and 15, before the exclamation point of the round, an eagle on the par 5 17.
You’d be hard pressed to find many more perfect rounds on the season than Saigo had here, hitting 13/14 fairways, 16 greens and needing only 29 putts to complete her round. Dominance in every facet of the game.
Saigo is looking for her first-career LPGA Tour victory. The new 23-year-old, as of four days ago, was a superstar on the JLPGA, winning five events in 2022. Saigo currently holds the lead in the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year standings, and a win here would come close to likely securing that title.
Elsewhere, Ruoning Yin, whose family is originally from Shanghai, vaulted herself into second place with a blazing 63 in the third round. While I said earlier that you’d be hard pressed to find more perfect rounds, Yin had just that. She also didn’t make a bogey, hit 13 fairways, 16 greens but only needed 26 putts.
Yin is looking for her fourth win of her young career and second this season. This would be her first individual win of 2024, as her previous win was the Dow Championship alongside Jeeno Thitikul.
The leader through the first two days, Sei Young Kim, has slowed down with a 70 and 69 in the second and third rounds. While she isn’t playing poor, she has come back to the rest of the field, now three shots off the lead.
