SPRINGFIELD, N.J. — Leona Maguire said patience has been key to her approach this week at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Years after her successful amateur career, the Irishwoman has needed plenty of patience to go this long without a major title.
That wait could end Sunday, thanks to Maguire’s latest stellar trip around Baltusrol Golf Club.
Maguire two-putted for birdie at the final hole to take sole possession of the 54-hole lead at the second major of the women’s golf season on Saturday.
Maguire entered the third round with a one-shot lead and posted a 2-under-par 69 to get to 7-under 206. That broke a tie with South Korea’s Jenny Shin, who made five birdies to charge up the leaderboard and reach 6 under late in the day.
Shin matched the low round of the week with her bogey-free 66. Her lone win on the LPGA Tour came back in 2016, and she’s had just two top-10 finishes at majors.
Maguire, conversely, earned her second LPGA victory last week at the Meijer LPGA Classic. Once the No. 1 amateur in the sport, the now 28-year-old is ranked No. 12 in the world and this week marks the first time she’s led a major championship.
“I feel like I handled it pretty well and tried not to treat it any differently than any other round, just like last week,” Maguire said. “I think same mindset (Sunday).”
Maguire is the only player in the field to shoot all three rounds in the 60s. She’s hit 38 of 42 fairways and 48 of 54 greens in regulation.
“One more day of patience,” Maguire said. “I know it’s a cliche, but I think this golf course really demands it.”
Shin, 30, said a change in her mindset during the COVID-19 pandemic helped her find motivation for how she wanted to finish her playing career.
“I think I am seeing things and doing things a little bit differently,” Shin said. “And not to be so deep, but there’s more purpose. Before golf was everything. Golf was life. Now it’s just a job, which is quite surprising, and I love my job, and I want to, again, prove myself that I can be really good at this job.”
Stephanie Meadow of Northern Ireland shot a 67 Saturday to move into third at 5 under. Lee-Anne Pace of South Africa (70 on Saturday) and Ruoning Yin of China (69) are tied for fourth at 4 under.
World No. 1 Jin Young Ko of South Korea made her move with a run of four birdies at Nos. 12-15. She shot a 69 and is tied for sixth at 3 under with Lauren Coughlin (68). Megan Khang (67), Mina Harigae (70), Japan’s Yuka Saso (69) and Xiyu Lin of China (73) all sit in eighth at 2 under.
Of the top 11 players through three rounds, only two have won a major title before — Ko and Saso.
After two days of wet, chilly weather, the storms forecast for North Jersey stayed away and the greens stayed soft. Shin felt she could attack the pins more and made three of her five birdies on the front nine.
Maguire birdied the par-4 first and par-5 seventh holes to touch 7 under before her short par putt at the par-4 11th grazed the right edge of the cup.
Shin tied Maguire at 6 under with her final birdie of the day at the par-3 16th, where her tee shot threatened the pin before rolling to 10 or so feet. Maguire moved back in front with a 10-foot breaking putt for birdie at No. 15, but she couldn’t get up and down for par at the par-5 17th and dropped back to 6 under.
The 17th and 18th holes at Baltsurol are both playing as par-5s this week, which could bring an extra wrinkle of strategy into play Sunday. No. 17 is a three-shot hole, but many players are reaching the 18th green in two.
“Great risk-reward,” Meadow said of the setup. “Anything can happen coming in there, especially on 18.”
Rose Zhang, the 20-year-old prodigy who won her first professional start earlier this month, gave herself a 3-foot eagle at No. 18 by hitting a 5-wood to reach the green in two. She shot her best round of the week, a 68, and is tied for 12th at 1 under.
–By Adam Zielonka, Field Level Media
