Hannah Green entered the third round of the JM Eagle LA Championship tied for second, two shots behind leader Sei Young Kim, after firing a five-under-par 67 at Wilshire Country Club on Saturday.
The Australian, who won the event in 2023 and 2024, capitalized on Kim’s late stumble — the South Korean carded four bogeys in her final five holes — to move into contention for a historic third straight title. Green’s round included a chip-in and several recovery shots, though she admitted she did not hit many greens in regulation.
“I didn’t hit many greens. Felt like I really had to scramble today,” Green said. “It was nice, I did have a chip-in, and the rest the shots I had I kind of left myself all right positions.”
Kim, despite the slip, remained at 15 under par after a third-round 71, having opened with consecutive 65s. The 33-year-old described her round as a roller-coaster, emphasizing the learning process inherent in golf.
“Oh, wow, it feels like roller-coaster,” Kim said. “It’s golf. It can be happen again. It’s learn and then learn and learn. Mistake and then learn. Hopefully success end of the day tomorrow.”
Green shares second place with Thailand’s Suvichaya Vinijchaitham (67), American Jessica Porvasnik (68), and Korean Ina Yoon (71). The 29-year-old is attempting to add a third LA Championship trophy to her hat-trick of wins this year at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore, the Women’s Australian Open, and the Australian WPGA.
Earlier in the week, Green had opened the tournament with a strong five-under-par 67, birdying holes 14 and 16 on the back nine before rattling off three straight birdies on holes 6, 7, and 8 of the front nine to sit four shots off the lead after round one.
Her recent success stems from a deliberate shift in approach. In a press conference on April 15, Green revealed that switching putters in October of the previous year and committing to a “boring” game plan — prioritizing fairways, greens in regulation, and minimizing risk — had fueled her three consecutive international victories in March.
“Changed putters probably October last year. Put it in play right before we went to Asia, and I felt like that’s been a big difference,” Green said. “Perhaps last year, my ball striking wasn’t as great as it has been in the past. Definitely those three wins, the putter was very hot, but I was also able to hit a lot of greens in regulation, hit a lot of fairways, and try, and make golf as boring as possible.”
The three-win streak in Singapore, Adelaide, and Queensland occurred over just 22 days and earned her Ladies European Tour Player of the Month honors. Now, with two rounds remaining at the LA Championship, Green is positioned to extend her dominance on American soil.
What does Hannah Green indicate by making golf “boring”?
She means prioritizing consistency over aggression — hitting fairways, reaching greens in regulation, and relying on a hot putter to minimize mistakes and avoid high-risk shots.
How did Sei Young Kim’s performance affect Hannah Green’s position in the tournament?
Kim’s four bogeys in her final five holes of the third round erased her seven-shot lead, allowing Green to move into a tie for second just two shots behind the recent leader.