If you’re going to make a move at a major championship, Sunday is a pretty good day to do just that.
Enter Nasa Hataoka.
Hataoka, a three-time winner on the LPGA Tour, opened her final round at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship with an eagle on the par-4 1st from the fairway. She added another birdie on No. 3 and one on the par-5 9th to make the turn at 4-under and 5-under for the Championship.
The 21-year-old lost in a playoff at the 2018 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, her best career result in a major championship.
Hataoka wasn’t the only golfer who jockeyed for position Sunday morning from Aronimink Golf Club.
Lexi Thompson, an 11-time LPGA Tour winner, was also 3-under through nine holes and was out of the gate quickly. She’s since made two bogeys on her back nine to drop back.
Carlota Ciganda was also 3-under through nine. She birdied three of her final four holes on her front nine at Aronimink to start her Sunday charge.
Inbee Park, a three-time KPMG Women’s PGA Championship winner, was 3-under after nine and was putting the pressure on 54-hole leader Sei Young Kim from the penultimate group.
Park, who is looking to win her record-tying fourth KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, birdied her opening hole Sunday and added another birdie on the par-3 5th and the par-4 7th.
Unfortunately for the field, one of the golfers also making a front-nine charge Sunday at Aronimink was Kim herself.
She was 3-under through nine holes and the first golfer to hit double-digits under par for the Championship. She leads Park by three heading into the back nine at Aronimink.
The other golfers in the final group – past champions, both – Anna Nordqvist and Brooke Henderson, were over par for their first nine holes Sunday.
