INDIANAPOLIS — Mi Jung Hur kept her two-stroke lead in the Indy Women in Tech Championship on Saturday, birdieing five of the final eight holes for a 6-under 66.
Hur rebounded from an opening bogey with a birdie on the par-5 second. She added birdies on Nos. 9, 11, 13, 14, 16 and 18 to get to 17 under at Brickyard Crossing, the layout that features four holes inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval.
“This is my first time ever in my life I had a lead all three rounds,” Hur said. “So, I just want to keep it. … There is lots of pressure, for sure, no matter where I am … I’m just trying to enjoy my golf and talking a lot with my caddie. That way it’s easy to not think about my game more, because you have a lot of pressure.”
The South Korean player won the Ladies Scottish Open last month for her third LPGA Tour victory.
She doubled her lead with the birdie on 18.
“That was my best birdie for all three rounds,” Hur said. “Before I putt it, I was thinking about it. I knew I was ahead by one and I was thinking two-shot lead would be a little bit easier for me for tomorrow.”
Hur opened with a 63 to take a two-stroke lead and kept it Friday with a 70 in windy conditions.
Marina Alex, coming off the United States’ Solheim Cup loss to Europe, was second after a 64.
“I was able to get many more birdie opportunities,” Alex said. “I just felt like I didn’t play a whole lot different — it was just the course allowed for more birdies today.”
She won the Cambia Portland Classic last year for her lone LPGA Tour title.
“I feel like since Portland probably I just feel like that’s been going in the right direction,” Alex said. “I would like to continue with that tomorrow, first and foremost, and then hopefully through the rest of the season. Like everything else, you learn so much instruction and you put pieces together and you figure out what works for you and what doesn’t.”
Maria Torres had a 66 to get to 13 under. She’s trying to become the first player from Puerto Rico to win on the tour.
“ the same as the first three days — just trying to hit the fairway, hit the green, and just be patient out there,” Torres said. “Trying to be in the present. That has been my goal for the three days, so hopefully we can finish that out.”
Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen was 12 under after a 64.
England’s Bronte Law was the top European Solheim Cup player, following a second-round 75 with a 65 to reach 11 under.
