Jin Young Ko leads LPGA Tour event in Texas after bogey-free 32-hole day

Jin Young Ko chipped in for eagle on the par-4 15th and finished a bogey-free 32-hole Saturday in near darkness with a one-stroke lead in the Volunteers of America Classic.

Ko returned to overcast and breezy Old American early Saturday, playing the final 14 holes for a 1-under 70 in the suspended second round. After a rest break at her nearby home in Frisco, the 25-year-old South Korean star shot 66 in the third round.

"Today was really difficult today, tough today," Ko said. "I woke up 4:50 this morning and I finished almost 9. So I played all day today. It was long day. But I had great round today and it was fun."

WATCH | Ko claims lead with chip-in eagle:

Ko holes chip for eagle to take 1-shot lead into final round

3 years ago

Duration 0:54

Jin Young Ko found the cup with her chip the par 4 15th and will start Sunday in the lead at the Volunteers of America Classic.

After deciding to play the par-4 18th in fading light, she got up-and-down for par — chipping close after hitting over the green.

"I don't want to play tomorrow morning early, so I want to really finish," Ko said. "We did a great decision."

The first-round leader after a 63, Ko had a 14-under 199 total in the event that got back on schedule after the start of play Friday was delayed six hours because of rain and lightning.

"I can't wait to play tomorrow," Ko said.

Ko dropped from No. 1 to No. 2 in the world when Nelly Korda won the KPMG Women's PGA Championship last week for her second straight victory, ending a run of nearly two years. Even with a victory Sunday, Ko would remain No. 2.

The 22-year-old Henseleit followed the eagle on 15 with a birdie on the par-5 17th. She won the Ladies European Tour's 2019 Magical Kenya Ladies Open.

"I actually didn't think we would get that close to not finishing, but I'm so happy that we did," Henseleit said. "It really is dark. You couldn't really see the pins on the last two holes. But just happy to be sleeping in tomorrow."

"My ball-striking wasn't my best today, but I managed to just grind through the day." Castren said. "We had to run a little bit on 18, but we got it done, and that's the thing I'm most happy about today."

Jeongeun Lee, the South Korean player who won the 2019 U.S. Women's Open and lives in nearby Irving, was 10 under after a 69. She birdied the last three holes.

Defending champion Angela Stanford birdied three of the last four holes in a 68 to get to 9 under. The 43-year-old former TCU star from Fort Worth won at 7 under last year when the event was played in early December.

She played 31 holes Saturday, finishing a second-round 70 in the morning.

"I'm ready to go bed," Stanford said. "That 4:30 wake-up call was tough."

Ana Belac also was 9 under after a 68.

Stacy Lewis, from the Houston area, bogeyed the 18th in a 68 that left her 8 under. The 2014 tournament winner played 32 holes Saturday.

"I'm tired. Today was so long. It was exhausting," Lewis said. "Early this morning it played really hard I thought with the wind coming back out. ... Just really tiring, and glad to be done."