A Lim Kim has a hole-in-one and two late birdies to take the lead in the Lotte Championship final in Hawaii

HONOLULU – A Lim Kim made a hole-in-one on the par-3 ninth and birdied the final two holes for a 5-under 67 and one-stroke lead over Nataliya Guseva on Friday in the Lotte Championship.

“Calculate the number, then pick the line and hit it,” said Kim, who used a 9-iron on the 140-yard ninth hole. “I think 99% are lucky.”

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.

“I think the same thing every tournament: focus on my line and then hit it,” Kim said. “That’s it. Whatever the result, I don’t care.”

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.

“I like playing there,” Guseva said. “Still a lot of wind, but not as much as yesterday. Super excited for tomorrow.”

Ryann O’Toole was third at 11 under after a 69. She was unhappy with the pace of play.

“Very slowly. It felt like it was turtle slow,” O’Toole said.

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

___

AP wave: https://apnews.com/hub/golf