Noh shares VOA Classic lead

After an action-packed day at the Volunteers of America Classic, major champions Inbee Park and So Yeon Ryu along with 2020 LPGA Tour rookie Yealimi Noh are tied at the top of the leaderboard at four-under at Old American Golf Club in The Colony, Texas.

So Yeon Ryu, in just her third 2020 event on Tour, recorded a bogey-free 65, carding six birdies with five on her opening nine holes. Hitting 17 of 18 greens, the 30-year-old couldn’t be happier with her results after starting the day in a tie for twenty-sixth.
“I have no complaints about my ball‑striking today,” said Ryu.
“I hit 17 greens, I believe, and then I made so many birdie chances. I wish I could have made more putts on the back nine, but 65 is always good score and hopefully I can drop some putt tomorrow, what I could not make today.”
Park, who is in contention for her third victory at the VOA Classic after winning in 2013 and 2015, nearly shot a bogey-free round if not for an unfortunate slip on the 11th hole.

“I feel like I play really good on the front nine. Just the back nine I hit a lot of good shots, but just putts didn't drop." said Park, who hit 13 of 13 fairways and carded three birdies.
"A little disappointed back nine, but I played pretty well overall and I'm happy because we took about seven weeks of break after KPMG and coming back here first week just preparing for the U.S. Women's Open, so I'm really happy with my game,”
Noh closed with an even-par 71, after a roller-coaster third round. The 19-year-old had reached six-under as she played the last after four birdies and two bogeys. However, two shots in the fairway-bunker on the final hole contributed to a double-bogey and the loss of the solo lead heading into Sunday.

“Bad shots happen. No one's perfect and mistakes are always there, but just to get over it and try to make the next shot or stick it close to save it,” started Noh.
“I was thinking about it after the round too, like what was good and what was bad. But I think I just ‑‑ I didn't hit as many greens as I thought, but overall ‑‑ I had some good up and downs today, so that really helped me save par,” said Noh.
Seven players are in the hunt one stroke back at three-under, including first round leader Charley Hull, major champions Jin Young Ko and Angela Stanford and Texas resident Kristen Gillman.

“Definitely happy with how today went,” said Gillman. “I haven't been hitting my driver as good the last two days, so I kind of focused on putting myself in the fairway because I've been hitting my irons well and I knew I'd give myself more birdie chance if I did that.”
Swedes Madelene Sagstrom and Anna Nordqvist, who slipped from a tie for first to a tie for 11th heading into the final day, sit at -2.