Hyo Joo Kim overcomes her first bogeys of the tournament but steadies out to keep Lotte lead

Hyo Joo Kim didn’t replicate her earlier success and even proved she’s human by making her first bogeys in Friday’s third round of the LPGA Lotte Championship at Hoakalei Country Club.

But the 26-year-old South Korean maintained the same three-stroke lead she had at the start of the round, as the players immediately behind her struggled. Sunday qualifier Brianna Do and Hinako Shibuno shot up the leaderboard and reached second at 209.

“There was a lot of wind going back and forth. I think it was difficult because it was not specifically (from one) direction,” Kim said. “The pin position was also difficult compared to the first and second rounds. I had a hard time in that regard.”

Kim is at 10-under 206 after shooting an even-par 72. She bogeyed Nos. 7 and 12, but rallied for birdies on Nos. 14 and 18.

“It was very important because it was a matter of over par or not,” Kim said. “I had a chance at the 16th hole (for birdie), but I missed. So I was a little angry. Now I feel much better since I made a birdie on the last hole.”

Kim, who won the 2014 Evian Championship for her only major title, was bogey-free and had five birdies in each of the first two rounds.

“Probably her short game, her scrambling ability is really good,” said caddie Les Luark when asked what impressed him about Kim’s game. “She’s putted well, but today she didn’t putt as well, but it was tough.”

Sarah Kemp started the round three strokes behind Kim in second, and Ariya Jutanugarn and Haeji Kang were another stroke back in third. All three golfers finished the third round over par.

Do, a 32-year-old from Long Beach, Calif., started the round tied for 17th at 2-under 142.

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The UCLA alum shot a 5-under 67 with birdies on Nos. 1, 2, 3, 7, 13 and 18 and a bogey on 16.

“Once you hit a few good shots with the wind you kind of gauge it from there, and it was just kind of rolling the rest of the round,” Do said.

Do and Haru Nomura shot 3-under 69 at Sunday’s qualifier at Hoakalei to earn the final two spots in the 144-player field.

“Yeah, going into Sunday I felt good about my game,” Do said. “I played a few events on the Epson Tour recently and had a T4 finish I think in Tucson, Ariz.”

Do got within one stroke of the lead after Kim bogeyed the 12th. Do was on No. 16 at the time and wound up bogeying the hole after hitting into a bunker.

Kim’s birdie on No. 14 gave her a three-stroke lead before she and Do both birdied the 18th.

Do is competing in her 13th LPGA Tour event since 2021, with her best finish a tie for 31st at last year’s Pure Silk Championship.

Shibuno was bogey-free and finished with birdies on Nos. 10, 11, 14 and 17 in her 68. She started the round tied for 11th at 3 under.

“Putting was more stronger, and so, yeah, that makes me birdie,” said Shibuno, a 23-year-old from Okayama, Japan.

She burst onto the scene by winning the AIG Women’s British Open in her LPGA debut and first event outside of Japan. It is her only tour victory.

For a while it looked like Punahou graduate Allisen Corpuz was going to get into contention, but she faded toward the end.

Corpuz, 24, at one point was tied for fourth at 5 under, but settled for an even-par 72 and is tied for 15th at 214. She had five birdies and five bogeys.

“I played really solid out there,” she said. “I mean, had a really good front nine and hit a couple bumps on the back nine, but feels really good to finish with a birdie. I feel like I’m in a good spot for tomorrow.”

Corpuz bogeyed No. 2 but rallied for birdies at Nos. 3, 4, 5 and 9 to get to 5 under. She suffered a setback on the 11th when her 4-foot putt lipped out and she settled for bogey.

“You know, honestly, it really wasn’t that bad of a putt — I just misread it,” said Corpuz, who started the round eight back of the lead and tied for 17th. “Didn’t quite hit it the way I wanted to, so really just told myself to refocus and hopefully pick up a few finishing out.”

She went on to bogey Nos. 14 to 16 before closing with a birdie.

Somi Lee and Stephanie Meadow are tied for fourth at 210.

“My goal is to do my best as much as I can,” said Lee, of South Korea. ” I won’t be too greedy as I came to Hawaii, not my home ground, but I’m going to do my best on every hole and every shot.”