NAPLES, Florida— The troublesome news for the dozen players still with a dream of producing the perfect round and catching Sei Young Kim in Sunday’s final round of the CME Group Tour Championship, there were no indications that a super-low score needed will be forthcoming.
Only four players shot a 6-under-par 66 at the Tiburón Golf Club in the third round so the formula of shooting a dramatic score to catch Kim at 16 under par seems remote.
In fact Australian Su Oh, tied for fifth at 10-under par, made that comment.
“(A) 59, that’s what I’ll need, and that means a lot of birdies,” Oh said. “Nothing was happening today and like everyone was guessing about the greens because here it’s obvious, they’re shiny or dark.
“But you have to really forget about the score and make birdies and forget about the score.”
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England’s Charley Hull, who made a 40-footer on the final hole Saturday to reach 11 under, will have fun Sunday.
“With where I stand is just go out there and have fun,” said Hull, who won here in 2016 with a record 19 under. “The plan is simple, hit fairways, hit greens, and hole the putts.
“At the end of the day I try to look at it as just another golf tournament, to be fair about it.”
Jin Young Ko is one stroke back of Hull, tied with Jessica Korda in fifth.
“Nelly and Sei Young are playing really good, so I will just focus on myself,” Ko said. “I don’t know what number I would need (Sunday).”
Korda is also fearful of the Sunday weather forecast of morning rain.
“Hopefully no mud balls tomorrow. I had a couple today but on one occasion I was able to make an up and down from 100 yards out,” Korda said.
Korda casts aside the thought of nerves taking over in the final round with a $1.5 million prize at stake.
“Right now I’m just trying to win a golf tournament,” she said. “We’re just going to try and do the same thing tomorrow, be patient because there’s a lot of golf to be played and the holes coming in, they’re not easy.”
Brooke Henderson joined the group at 10-under par despite a lackluster 71.
“I was sort of fighting it all day long out there, nothing special,” Henderson said. “I’ll just stay with my game plan Sunday and see what happens.”
“(Sunday) the weather has to be great, you have to be on fire and make lots of putts, that simple,” said So Yeon Ryu, tied for ninth at 9-under par.
“Do I have a low round in me, yes,” said American Solheim Cup team member Danielle Kang.
Then you have Ally McDonald, a last-minute addition to the Solheim team, replacing Stacy Lewis. She reached the 18th tee 8-under par, 4 under for the round, then a ball in the pond, and another penalty shot and she left just at 6 under par.
“I hit every green today until 18 and then I hit the worst pull of my career but I won’t let that define the round,” McDonald said.
Caddies have new ‘suits’
The CME Group Tour Championship joined professional golf with a unique distinction in 2019, having the caddies in the 60-player event wear full length caddie outfits.
Most LPGA and PGA Tour event have caddies wear bibs that go to their waist to allow for more comfortable attire.
Only the Masters at August National Golf Club and the LPGA major ANA Inspiration in Rancho Mirage. California, have caddies in full length uniforms. Now the CME Group joins that lofty group.
“We heard from the LPGA they would like to see to full length uniform, a nice clean look,” said Matt Hoover, the tournament director for the Wasserman Group. “The CME Group people liked the idea so we went with it.”
The bibs were ordered from a Jacksonville company.
“We had to order 145 bibs to make sure we had enough sizes for the 60 caddies on hand and it became a bit of a puzzle on the sizes, so we ordered five more at the last minute,” Hoover said. “We also purchased the most expensive bibs that are lightweight and have vents.”
Veteran caddie Dan Chapman, who works for Ally McDonald, expressed the views of several caddies.
“The full bib is probably a step up in respectability and today was not too hot, so it was OK,” Chapman said.
“It was a bit hot, but I won’t complain,” said Oliver Brett, who works for Danielle Kang.
“A little toasty, but I’ve done this before at the ANA,” said Brittany Henderson, who carries for her sister Brooke.
Ariya back on track
Ariya Jutanugarn, who knows what it’s like to win $1.5 million ($1 million for the Race to the CME Globe last year and $500,000 for winning the tournament in 2017), was an astounding 5 over for the tournament after her first 27 holes.
Since then since she’s a just-as-astounding 13 under and is tied for 16th at 8 under.
“So actually like after front nine (Friday) I plan, ‘OK, what I’m going to do? I’m going to go shopping on Monday; I’m going to leave on Tuesday,’” said Jutanugarn, who turned 24 Saturday. “So like not expect anything at all. I told myself just like, OK, I’m making sure I have no fear when I swing. Just hit the ball.”
Jutanugarn has lost some weight and changed her diet.
“So basically I got yell by my mom a lot by keep eating dessert,” she said. “So I do blood testing and everything come pretty bad so I have to do like that diet.
“Normally I love to have dessert. I can have cake even right before I play, so right now I have to cut down. If i want to have I have only one bite, two bite, because I have issue.”
Greg Hardwig contributed to this article.
