Major champion and 11-time LPGA Tour winner Sei Young Kim had a spectacular day at the Pelican Golf Club. Her third-round 64 is good for a five-shot lead heading into Sunday at the inaugural Pelican Women’s Championship presented by DEX Imagining and Konica Minolta.
The 54-hole score of 196 is the second lowest of her career, and the lowest since the 2019 Marathon LPGA Classic presented by Dana (197). She had a 32-hole bogey-free streak up until her bogey on No. 8 today, a feat that she had started to realize while on the course in the third round.
“After [I] had a bogey [I] felt, wow, it’s been like 27 hole. I realize that. Yeah, I play quite consistently, so, yeah, hopefully no more bogeys tomorrow,” Kim said with a smile.
Kim mentioned she will relax tonight and eat a good meal to prep for tomorrow.
“Eat a lot of carbs,” said Kim.
One of her favorite things to do with her downtime is watch Netflix, and Kim recently started The Last Dance, an ESPN Films’ 30 for 30 feature on Michael Jordan. She watched the first two episodes last night and said that she has learned a lot from the series already and been inspired to keep pushing ahead.
“I have eight more left, maybe,” said Kim. “He [Michael Jordan] is a legend of the sport.”
ACE FOR ALLY MCDONALD
A Rolex First-Time winner at the LPGA Drive On Championship—Reynolds Lake Oconee, Ally McDonald made the 11th hole-in-one of the 2020 LPGA Tour season as she found the bottom of the cup on No. 12 with a pitching wedge from 132 yards. It was the first of her LPGA Tour career.
“So the pin was 12 yards on the green and it was playing like 115 [yards] front, a little downwind,” said McDonald, who carded a 2-under par 33 on the back nine which included the ace. “I thought just playing the front edge would be enough to pitch it a few yards on and let it release. That’s how my strategy works was everything told me to look a couple paces right of it, so I did. I wasn’t looking at the hole then it went in. It was a really cool hole-in-one.”
For that ace, CME Group will donate $20,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, which is leading the way the world understands, treats and defeats childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases. The 2020 season has now seen 11 aces for a total of $220,000 donated to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
“That’s awesome,” McDonald said. “I think any time that our Tour does something that can give back to charities, especially St. Jude it’s just great to help kids. I know that the donation will go to great use at St. Jude for sure.”
LPGA Tour Release, Nov 22, 2020
