The 60 players who qualified for the final event of the LPGA Tour are competing for the $2m (£1.75m) prize, the joint richest prize in women's golf with US Women's Open; Watch final round of CME Group Tour Championship live on Sky Sports Golf from 6pm on Sunday or stream with NOW.
Saturday 18 November 2023 23:40, UK
Nasa Hataoka had a strong start and Amy Yang had a hot finish, finishing with a share of the lead in the CME Group Tour Championship with 18 holes left and $2m (£1.75m) on the line.
Yang had four birdies on her final six holes at Tiburon for an eight-under 64 while Hataoka set the pace early with five birdies in her first 11 holes and finished with a 65.
They were at 21-under 195, scoring so low that they already are within two shots of the tournament record with one round to go.
"It does feel quite nervous being in contention, but I never thought like I have to follow the nine-under par yesterday, because golf you never know," said Yang, who shot 63 on Friday.
"But I did try my best just to stay like present, and when I decide to hit one shot and just commit to it and go for it."
Alison Lee, who came into the LPGA finale with a Ladies European Tour win and two runner-up finishes on the LPGA Tour, tried to keep pace but managed only four birdies, three of them on the par-fives, and had to settle for a 68.
That still left her only three shots behind with so much riding on Sunday.
The 60 players who qualified for the final event of the LPGA Tour only have to win at Tiburon Golf Club to claim the $2m prize, matching the richest in women's golf equal to the US Women's Open. Only six women have earned $2m or more all season.
Yang will be trying to win in America for the first time. Her four LPGA victories have come in South Korea once and Thailand three times.
Xiyu Lin had a 66 and was four shots behind, still very much in the hunt.
Another shot back were Women's PGA champion Ruoning Yin and two-time major champion Minjee Lee, both with a 69 on a day when much more was required to keep pace.
Nelly Korda tried to stay close, making her first hole-in-one on the LPGA Tour at the par-three eighth. But she had consecutive bogeys late on the back nine and had to settle for a 66. That left her seven shots behind, tied with world No 1 Lilia Vu (66), Brooke Henderson of Canada (66) and Atthaya Thitikul (69).
"Definitely nothing-to-lose mentality," Korda said. "It's going to take a really low one to catch the leaders. I would say anything is possible. I'm going to go out trying to play my game and take it one shot at a time and see where that takes me."
Watch the final round of the CME Group Tour Championship live on Sky Sports Golf from 6pm on Sunday or stream with NOW.
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