A Lim Kim birdies last two holes to take the lead in the Lotte Championship final

HONOLULU (AP) — A Lim Kim birdied the final two holes for a 5-under 67 and one-stroke lead over Nataliya Guseva on Friday in the Lotte Championship.

Kim recovered from a bogey at the par-4 16th with birdies at the par-4 17th and par-5 18th. She had a total of 14-under 202 at the breezy Hoakalei Country Club with one round remaining in the event that started Wednesday.

Kim is ranked No. 65 in the Race to CME Globe and has just two more tournaments to crack the top 60 and earn a spot in the season finale, which pays $4 million to the winner. The 29-year-old South Korean player won the US Women’s Open in December 2020 for her only LPGA Tour title.

Guseva, the 21-year-old player trying to become the first Russian winner in LPGA Tour history, shot 68. She bogeyed the 17th for the third day in a row.

Ryann O’Toole was third at 11 under after a 69.

Jin Young Ko shot 67 to join Auston Kim (69) and Yuri Yoshida (71) at 10 under.

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