Ryu tops leaderboard, Saigo breaks tournament record

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Ryu tops leaderboard, Saigo breaks tournament record

Haeran Ryu and Lauren Coughlin moved away from the rest of the field at the ********* Women’s Open on a day when Mao Saigo took advantage of the improving conditions to ****** a tournament record.

Taking advantage of calmer conditions after two windy days at Earl Grey Golf Club, Saigo shot an 11-under 61 to jump from a tie for 46th to tied third.

Saigo is now five strokes behind Ryu (64) and four back of Coughlin (66) on the tree-lined course with thick rough and small greens.

“I’m very proud of myself because that was the best round probably since I started playing golf,” Saigo said through a translator.

“The wind wasn’t blowing much, so I was trying to make birdies on par 5s and try to keep my strengths with my iron shots.”

The 22-year-old ********* player – an LPGA Tour rookie after winning six times on the JLPGA – holed out from 133 yards for eagle with a pitching wedge on the par-4 10th.

“I was able to feel the energy from the fans and that helped me play well,” Saigo said.

She broke the tournament record of 62 set by Song Hee-Kim in 2009 at nearby Priddis Greens and matched by Mo Martin in 2018 at Wascana in *******, Saskatchewan, and Paula Reto and Lindy Duncan in 2022 at Ottawa Hunt.

Ryu shot a 64 to get to 13-under 203, making a 20-foot eagle putt on the par-4 14th.

The 23-year-old South Korean birdied the first four holes and five of the first six. She added a birdie on No.10, bogeyed the par-4 12th and rebounded with a birdie on 13.

“She (Saigo) had a crazy day,” Ryu said. “But I started five holes and 5 under, so I’m crazy, too, I think. It’s funny today.”

Coughlin, the leader after each of the first two rounds, shot 66. Winless on the LPGA Tour, the 31-year-old is coming off a fourth-place finish two weeks ago in France in the major Evian Champions.

“Hung in there for sure,” Coughlin said. “She (Ryu) was making everything there to start, so I was just trying to stay in my own bubble and not get too into what she was doing.”

Rose Zhang shot 66 to join Saigo at eight under. Jennifer Kupcho was seven under after a 68, while second-ranked Lilia Vu (69) and *********** Hannah Green (71) are at six under.

World No.6 Green, who will be representing Australia alongside Minjee Lee (68, two under) at the Paris Olympics, mixed four birdies with three bogeys.

But it was another *********** who impressed, with Perth 26-year-old Hira Naveed moving to four under in the tournament.

Naveed, who finished second at the Ford Championship in March, is now tied 10th.

The LPGA Tour rookie made an eagle on the 14th, while adding birdies on the seventh, 15th and 18th holes. A bogey at the par-five fourth was the only blemish on her card.

Three-time champion Lydia Ko was three under after a 72. She won as an ******** in 2012 at age 15, successfully defended her title as an ******** in 2013 and won as a professional in 2015.

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