Jeongeun Lee6 extends lead at Evian Championship to five shots

Jeongeun Lee6 extended her Evian Championship lead a day after making golfing history to five strokes after a 3-under-par 68 in the third round on Saturday.

Published : Jul 24, 2021 23:16 IST

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE - JULY 24: Jeongeun Lee6 of Korea plays her tee shot on the 15th hole during day three of the The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 24, 2021 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE - JULY 24: Jeongeun Lee6 of Korea plays her tee shot on the 15th hole during day three of the The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 24, 2021 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
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EVIAN-LES-BAINS, FRANCE - JULY 24: Jeongeun Lee6 of Korea plays her tee shot on the 15th hole during day three of the The Amundi Evian Championship at Evian Resort Golf Club on July 24, 2021 in Evian-les-Bains, France. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)

Jeongeun Lee6 extended her Evian Championship lead a day after making golfing history to five strokes after a 3-under-par 68 in the third round on Saturday.

She's at 18 under overall and the nearest challenger is American Yealimi Noh at 13 under after carding a 4-under 67.

The 2015 champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand posted a 68 and was one shot behind the 19-year-old Noh.

South Korean Minjee Lee's 6-under 65 moved her into a three-way tie for fourth spot at 11 under with Japan's Ayaka Furue and Thailand's Pajaree Anannarukarn, who drifted back with a 1-over 72.

READ | Evian Championship: Jeongeun Lee ties golf majors record for lowest round of 61

On Friday, Lee6 tied the golf majors record for the lowest round ever by a female or male with a 10-under 61, while her history-making 36-hole score of 127 was the lowest in a major, beating the 128 by Brooks Koepka at the 2019 U.S. PGA Championship.

But on Saturday, Lee6 had a mixed bag of three bogeys, four birdies and an eagle.

She started just before mid-day by going too wide on an approach to the green and landing in the rough, but still almost chipped in before holding for par.

A rare error on the third hole saw her tee shot land in the bunker and she ended up with her first bogey since the 13th hole in the first round.

Lee6 birdied again on 10, eagled 11, bogeyed 17 after swiping an approach way wide from the fairway, and birdied 18.

Inbee Park, a seven-time major winner who won the Evian in 2012 before it became a major, was out of contention and tied at 16th at 7 under after a par 71.

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New world No. 1 Nelly Korda was tied for 32nd, and defending champion Jin Young Ko dropped way down to 74th after carding a miserable round of 76 including four bogeys and a double bogey.

She won at Evian in 2019 but the event was canceled last year amid the coronavirus pandemic.

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