Ex-World No. 1 Ko Jin-young Six Strokes Behind Leader at U.S. Women’s Open

Erin: Former world No. 1 Ko Jin-young finds herself six strokes off the lead as she heads into the final round of the second LPGA major of the season. Ko delivered a two-under 70 performance in the third round of the U.S. Women's Open at Erin Hills in Erin, southeastern Wisconsin, reaching one-under for the tournament. This places her in a tie for 13th with seven other players.According to Yonhap News Agency, Ko, who is currently ranked 10th globally, is the top South Korean player after 54 holes. She faces a challenging path to secure her third career major title and her first LPGA win since May 2023. Leading the pack is Sweden's Maja Stark at seven-under, with Julia Lopez Ramirez of Spain trailing by one stroke. Three Japanese golfers-Rio Takeda, Hinako Shibuno, and Mao Saigo-are tied for third at five-under, while world No. 1 Nelly Korda holds sixth place at four-under.Ko narrowly made the cut at one-over and capitalized on her opportunity by recording six birdies against four bogeys for her first unde r-par round at Erin Hills, which measured 6,692 yards on Saturday.Kim A-lim and Im Jin-hee, who had shared the opening-round lead, are at even-par and three-over for the tournament, respectively. Kim recorded a five-over 77 in the third round, while Im signed for a 79.Ryu Hae-ran, the highest-ranked South Korean player at No. 5, is tied for 30th at two-over after posting a 73 on Saturday. Since the start of 2023, South Korea has had only one LPGA major champion: Amy Yang at the 2024 KPMG Women's PGA Championship.