LOS ANGELES, US, April 30: Aditi Ashok, the halfway leader, was unable to maintain the tempo and slipped in the third round of the LA Championship at Wilshire Country Club. Aditi, who shot 66-70 on the first two days, and led the field by one, carded 1-over 72 and fell to tied fifth place.
Aditi was 5-under through three rounds and was four shots behind the new leader, Cheyenne Knight.
Knight carded a bogey-free 4-under 67 to take a two-shot lead through three rounds at the Wilshire Country Club. Knight was at 9-under 204 through 54 holes.
Aditi had just one birdie on the Par-3 seventh but bogeyed sixth and 11th. After two days of good putting with 27 and 28 putts for the rounds, she needed 32 for the third round and that was the difference.
With one more day to go in the close event, Aditi could still make a dash for her maiden title. She has had a good season so far, but on the Ladies European Tour, when won in Kenya and finished in Top-3 at two other events.
This is Aditi’s fourth event on the LPGA this season, and she missed the cut in each of the first three, so she is looking to make up for it.
Hae Ran Ryu also shot 67 and was two shots back alongside Hannah Green, who shot 69. Knight and Green are the only players to have three rounds in the 60s at Wilshire.
Green played her first 12 holes in 3 over but birdied five of her last six.
Gemma Dryburgh birdied three of her first five holes in her round of 66. She was three behind the leader. Xiyu Lin (66) and Aditi Ashok (72) were another shot behind.
Knight, ranked No. 60 in the world, won her only LPGA Tour title in 2019 at the Volunteers of America Classic in Texas. She shot 33-33 in her 66.
