“It’s a good thing my wood shots and chip shots were good enough”, said Ko, who previous year became the youngest man or woman to be ranked No. 1.
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She’s trying to become just the second player in LPGA history, joining her idol and fellow South Korean Se Ri Pak, as the only players to win their first two LPGA titles at major championships.
One shot back in the fifth and final women’s major of the season, being played in Evian-les-Bains, were Olympic bronze medalist Shanshan Feng of China and American rookie Annie Park.
But it takes more than that to ruffle Chun.
“I just seemed to hit a lot of good wedge shots today and hit a lot of good putts, ” said Johnston, coming off a 28th-place tie last week in OH in the DAP Championship. She rebounded with three birdies and a chip-in eagle at the par-5 15th to extend her lead. Fans wrapped in warm clothing and raincoats cheered. Her score could have been lower if not for a double bogey on the ninth hole. The last two were mere pars.
A double bogey on the ninth was the only blemish on Chun’s otherwise flawless scorecard and the 22-year-old now has her eye on the all-time lowest score recorded at a women’s major.
Henrik Stenson and Jason Day own the major record for men and women at 20 under, while the women’s record of 19 under is shared by four players.
Ko’s a whopping 19 shots off leader In Gee Chun of Korea.
Chun was smiling again after the next hole, another birdie.
Charley Hull, who played alongside Matthew for Team GB at the Olympics, looked set to finish high on the leaderboard when she covered the first 15 holes in four under par.
The low rounds of the day – seven-under-par 64s – came from South Korea’s Kim In-Young and England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff.
The 27-year-old said: “I made a couple of bogeys in the start of the back nine, but then I talked to my caddie”. “Hopefully, I’ll be able to hit some fairways tomorrow”.
Lydia Ko (70-68) is nine strokes back.
World No 1 Lydia Ko is on four under par, nine shots off the pace.
Final-round tee times were moved up due to potential weather issues in the area.
Ko revealed herself to the golfing world at the Evian in 2013, when she finished second as a 16-year-old amateur.
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Located in the southeast of France overlooking Lake Geneva, the Evian Resort Golf Club is known for its incredible views but should put a strong field to the test.
