Hye-Jin Choi threatened to take control of the BMW Ladies Championship with an extraordinary eight-under-par front nine, but costly mistakes on the closing holes left the South Korean four strokes behind Haeran Ryu heading into Sunday’s final round.
HAENAM, South Korea — Hye-Jin Choi produced one of the most remarkable starts of the 2026 BMW Ladies Championship on Saturday, October 24, racing through her opening nine holes in just 28 strokes at rain-soaked Pine Beach Golf Links.
The 27-year-old made six birdies and an eagle on the front nine before adding another birdie at the 10th. At nine-under for the round through 11 holes, she briefly held a two-shot advantage over overnight leader Haeran Ryu.
What appeared to be a potentially decisive round soon became a test of recovery.
Choi dropped shots on the 12th and 15th holes before a double bogey at the par-five 17th damaged her title hopes. Despite those setbacks, she signed for a six-under 66, moving into a tie for second at 13-under-par.
A Spectacular Start Gives Choi the Lead
Choi began her third round with a birdie at the first hole and added two more at the third and fourth.
Her most spectacular moment arrived at the par-five sixth, where she holed a bunker shot for eagle.
The remarkable recovery was followed by three consecutive birdies at the seventh, eighth and ninth holes, completing a front-nine 28.
Another birdie at the 10th took Choi to nine-under for the day and 16-under overall.
For a player pursuing her first LPGA Tour victory, the performance represented an outstanding opportunity to take control of the championship.
However, the closing stretch would prove far more difficult.
Costly Mistakes Change the Leaderboard
Choi’s momentum was interrupted at the par-five 12th, where she found a fairway bunker and made bogey.
She lost another stroke at the 15th before responding with a birdie at the 16th.
The decisive setback came at the par-five 17th.
After an aggressive fairway-wood approach finished in a hazard beside the green, Choi struggled to recover and eventually recorded a double-bogey seven.
Her final-round score of 66 remained impressive, but it was a disappointing conclusion after such an extraordinary opening stretch.
Meanwhile, Ryu recovered from a bogey at the 15th with three consecutive closing birdies.
The two-time major winner completed a four-under 68 to reach 17-under-par, taking a four-stroke lead into the final round.
Choi Faces Another Chance to Chase Her First LPGA Title
Choi’s performance comes just six days after she narrowly missed out on victory at the Buick LPGA Shanghai.
She led through the first three rounds in China before finishing one stroke behind Ruoning Yin.
Despite her consistent performances, Choi is still seeking her first LPGA Tour victory as a member, having made 125 career starts entering the latest stage of the BMW Ladies Championship.
She has previously held or shared a 54-hole lead on five occasions without converting one into a victory.
This time, she enters the final round as a challenger.
Choi shares second place with Minji Park, who shot a seven-under 65 on Saturday, and Japan’s Yuri Yoshida, who returned a 68.
All three players are four strokes behind Ryu.
Can Choi Close the Gap on Sunday?
The BMW Ladies Championship concludes on Sunday, October 25, with Choi aiming to secure the breakthrough victory that has repeatedly proved elusive.
Her extraordinary opening nine on Saturday demonstrated that she can produce the low scores needed to challenge.
However, Ryu’s four-stroke advantage means Choi will require another strong round and potentially some assistance from the leader.
For now, Choi’s third-round 28 stands as one of the most remarkable scoring performances of the tournament, even if the final result left her with more work to do.