Corpuz, Yin tied for lead at Chevron after third round

Corpuz and Yin each shot 5-under 67 at The Club at Carlton Woods in the major tournament that moved from the California desert to suburban Houston this year.

Corpuz started out strong, with birdies on four of the first five holes, including the first three. She had a chance to birdie the 18th in a bogey-free round, but her putt rolled just shy.

“Just tried to put myself in good position, fairways and greens,” she said. “Just hit some really solid shots starting out and was able to convert the putts.”

Yin had four birdies on the back nine, highlighted by one on the 18th that moved her into the tie for first.

“Even though I didn’t hit it as good as I did the first day or the second day, I did manage to score well, and I just adapted and I stayed patient,” she said. “My caddie kept telling me to stay patient, so I’m glad I did that.”

Corpuz and Yin are both looking for their first LPGA Tour title, but the two have very different plans if they win this one Sunday.

When the tournament — best known as the Dinah Shore — was at Mission Hills, it was highlighted by the traditional victory leap into Poppie’s Pond, which surrounded the 18th green. Winners had been jumping into it since 1988.

Organizers of this tournament tried to maintain some of that history and have a much murkier lake on the 18th, causing debate about whether the tradition will continue this year.

Corpuz said she doesn’t think she’ll jump. Yin has a different plan.

“Let me win, and then I’ll do anything,” she said with a laugh.

Saturday was a beautiful and sunny day after the two rain-soaked days forced delays at the tournament.

The third round began after 31 players, including Yin finished the second round Saturday after they couldn’t complete it before dark Friday night in the first women’s major tournament of the season.

“I started out really early,” Yin said. “I was walking down 16, I was like, `Wow, I feel like I’ve been here before. Oh, I did. I was just here this morning.’ I think it really helped me warm up my body early in the morning (but) I’m tired.”

Amy Yang, Albane Valenzuela and Megan Khang tied for third, a stroke behind.

Yang had eight birdies, including three straight on Nos. 7-9 to shoot a 65. Yang has four career victories, with the last coming at the Honda LPGA Thailand in 2019.

“My game felt easier out there,” she said. “Like everything felt in sync, and every shot was pretty solid. I didn’t think the course was easy, but my game felt easy out there.”

Valenzuela had five birdies and one bogey for a third-round score of 68.

Khang shot a 33 on the front nine Saturday but cooled off after that with three bogeys in the last nine holes to finish with a 70.

“Everyone… knows mistakes are going to happen, and to try to minimize it the best we can is our goal,” she said.

World No. 2 Nelly Korda was among four players tied for sixth at 8 under. Korda, who shot a 70, is fully healthy after missing four months and a lot of momentum last year with a blood clot in her arm that required surgery.

“Obviously, it means a lot, not being able to be not playing last year and then a year from now being in contention,” she said.

A Lim Kim, who led after two rounds, had two bogeys and a double bogey Saturday to shoot a 72 and tumble into a tie for sixth with Korda.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko and American Lexi Thompson were among those who didn’t make the cut that was 1 over with 68 players in the cutline.

A highlight of the third round was a million-dollar shot by In Gee Chun of South Korea. She won $1 million for charity with a hole-in-one on the 17th.

Chun, who won the 2022 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, jumped around and high-fived members of her team after watching the ball curve and roll in.

Chevron pledged to donate $1 million for the first hole-in-one on the par 3 17th to support partners in diversity, inclusion and education. The money won Saturday will be donated to the LPGA Foundation and Girls Golf of Greater Houston.

Chevron took over sponsorship of the tournament last year and moved to suburban Houston this year. The company, which has more than 8,000 employees in Houston, is also donating $10,000 for each birdie on the 17th hole throughout the tournament.