Pauline Roussin-Bouchard, alumna from South Carolina, switched on the jets on Saturday, made six birdies and a bogey on the Crossings Course in Magnolia Grove and moved up to the top of the LPGA Q-Series leaderboard with -12. She finished her round on consecutive birdies to take the solo lead, one stroke ahead of Korea Republic’s Hye-Jin Choi.
“I’m just surrounded by great people and I feel good in this environment,” said Roussin-Bouchard, who received the LPGA Qualifying School Level II medal winners in October. “I guess I’m just trying to live the moment because I’ve practiced and prepared for it, and so it’s all about living the moment with the people who are important to me.”
The 21-year-old southern France turned pro in August 2021. In only her second professional event, she won the LET’s Didriksons Skaftö Open after shooting a second-round 60.
Choi continued to play well despite a nagging ankle injury, carding five birdies and two bogeys in her 3-under 68.
Thailand’s Atthaya Thitikul and Chinese Taipei’s Peiyun Chien are in third place with -10, both players returned to the 66th round on Saturday. Thitikul, the LET player and rookie of the year 2021, joined Mobile straight from the LET season finale in Spain. The 18-year-old Thai figure has finally got over her jet lag and feels that her game is getting into shape before it goes into the final round on Sunday on the Crossings Course.
“I played (Crossings) on the first day. I got stuck on my putter a bit and hopefully I can do better tomorrow, ”said Thitikul. “Just give me plenty of chances to be in the safe zone and just keep rolling the putt, be patient.”
The Japanese Ayaka Furue, the top player in the field in 14th place in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings, and the Canadian Selena Costabile are tied in fifth place with -9, while the Korean compatriots Yaeeun Hong and Na Rin An occupy seventh place – 8. A quartet of Americans rounds off the top 10 with -7 – Katie Yoo, Caroline Inglis, Kaitlyn Papp and Haylee Harford.
After starting the day in a tie for 72nd place, 2019 AIG Women’s Open Champion Hinako Shibuno climbed the leaderboard on Saturday, carding a third round of 66 and jumping into a tie for 25th place. with -4. She will go to the Crossings on Sunday to catch up on the 73 she shot in the first round on Thursday. “I need revenge from day one. I will play with a fresh feeling and do my best, ”said Shibuno.
The LPGA Q-Series consists of two 72-hole stroke play events that are held in consecutive weeks, with the scores accumulating over the two weeks. After the first week there will be a cut to the low 70 players and ties, with the second week being played at Highland Oaks Golf Club in Dothan, Ala. The 2020 competition was not held due to the COVID-19 pandemic with Jeongeun Lee6 (2018) and Muni He (2019) the medal winners in the first two games.