Ryu Hae-ran builds 4-shot lead at LPGA event in S. Korea

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Oct. 24 (Yonhap) -- Hometown favorite Ryu Hae-ran is taking a four-stroke lead into the final round of the LPGA Tour event in her native South Korea.

Ryu shot a four-under 68 on Saturday to reach 17-under 199 through 54 holes at the BMW Ladies Championship at Pine Beach Golf Links in Haenam, some 335 kilometers south of Seoul. Three players sit four shots behind Ryu in second place -- Park Min-ji and Choi Hye-jin of South Korea, and Yuri Yoshida of Japan.

Ryu, who is from the nearby town of Yeongam, is going for her third title of the season and the sixth of her LPGA career. Her two victories in 2026 have both come at major championships -- the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in June and the Amundi Evian Championship in July.

At No. 3, Ryu is the highest-ranked player in the field this week and has played like one all week. She has made only one bogey in three rounds and has missed the green only twice.

Ryu had a quiet start to her round with five consecutive pars before a birdie at the par-5 sixth. Choi was on fire early, as she recorded six birdies and an eagle on the front nine to reach 15-under and take a one-shot lead over Ryu at the turn.

Choi made another birdie at the par-4 10th, her fourth in a row, to open up a two-stroke lead over Ryu at 16-under.

Ryu cut Choi's lead to one with a birdie at the par-4 10th. And the two players were tied at 15-under after Choi had her first hiccup with a bogey at the par-5 12th.

Choi staggered to the finish line. She traded a bogey at the 15th with a birdie at the 16th. Then she made a double bogey at the par-5 17th to drop to 13-under. Playing three groups ahead of Ryu, Choi ended up shooting 66 to reach 13-under.

While Choi was stumbling, a Korea LPGA (KLPGA) Tour star Park Min-ji was making a run on the back nine. She finished her round with three consecutive birdies for a round of 65, putting her in a tie with Choi and Yoshida at 13-under.

But Ryu played at a different level than the rest. After bogeying the 15th -- her first bogey of the tournament -- she ended her day with three straight birdies that moved her to 17-under.

Ryu is on the verge of becoming the second straight South Korean winner of this event after Kim Sei-young, also a Yeongam native, won last year's event with a tournament-record score of 24-under.

Park, one of only three players in KLPGA history with at least 20 career victories, is going for her first LPGA title.

A nonmember who wins an LPGA tournament becomes eligible for the U.S. tour membership, and that player can either accept the tour card immediately or defer it to the start of the following season. However, Park said she is seeking a move to the Japanese tour for next year, and the BMW Ladies Championship is her final tournament in South Korea this year.

Choi, who joined the U.S. circuit in 2022 after notching 11 KLPGA titles, is chasing her maiden LPGA win in her 125th career start. Choi has made a little over US$7.5 million over her career, more than any other winless golfer in LPGA history.