HAINAN ISLAND, China – Candie Kung was worn out after another difficult day at wind-battered and sun-baked Jian Lake Blue Bay.

“As far as tomorrow, I would like just to simply survive the day,” Kung said.

She wasn’t kidding.

It has been so tough in the Blue Bay LPGA that the 34-year-old Taiwanese player and South Korea’s Sei Young Kim topped the leaderboard Saturday at even par.

Only two of the 78 players broke 70 and there were 11 rounds in the 80s. The players averaged 76.282 to push the three-day mark to 75.733. With more wind and possibly rain Sunday, the tournament could be the first with an over-par winner since Birdie Kim won the 2005 U.S. Women’s Open at 3 over at Cherry Hills in Colorado.

“If you can really get close to even par, you can probably win it,” Kung said.

Kung bogeyed the final two holes for a 1-over 73, and playing partner Kim shot a 74.

The wind makes it hard for players to hit into good positions on the large, undulating greens, with their firmness making it even more difficult.

“This is probably one of the hardest courses I’ve ever seen,” Kung said. “The course itself is full of slopes and sometimes it really feels like you’re taking a roller-coaster ride.”

Third-ranked Stacy Lewis was third at 1 over. The American bogeyed the par-5 18th for a 73.

Since winning the last of her 11 titles in June 2014, Lewis has finished second seven times, including playoff losses this year in the ANA Inspiration and Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.

Playing into the wind just off the South China Sea, Kung failed to reach the green on the 127-yard 17th and left her chip 20 feet short. She three-putted the par-5 18th, missing a 4-foot par putt.

“I really am very much distraught with the windy conditions,” said Kung, trying to win for the first time since 2008.

Kim also bogeyed the 17th, missing an 8-footer after driving through the green. The tour rookie won playoffs this year in the Bahamas and Hawaii in events also played in strong wind on tropical seaside layouts.

“This is the toughest course I’ve ever played,” Kim said. “This is really, really tough.”

The leaders both birdied the par-4 13th and par-5 14th, with Kung making two 10-foot putts to reach 2 under. After bogeying the previous two holes, Kim hit to 2 feet on 13 and holed a 15-footer on 14.

Norway’s Suzann Pettersen was 2 over along with American Kim Kaufman, Canada’s Alena Sharp and Japan’s Haru Nomura. Pettersen birdied the 18th in the final group for a 75. Nomura had a 72, and Kaufman and Sharp shot 74.

“It was the worst day by far,” Kaufman said.

China’s Lin Xi-yu, the first-round leader after a 67, followed her second-round 77 with a 75 that left her tied for eighth at 3 over. After playing her first 23 holes in 7 under, the 19-year-old Lin has played the last 31 holes in 10 over.

Taiwan’s Hsu Wei-ling had the best round, a 4-under 68 to jump from a tie for 42nd into the tie for eighth. Playing the back nine first, she had six birdies in a 30, then played her second nine in 2 over with three bogeys and a birdie.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko shot a 70 to move into a tie for 20th at 6 over. She opened with rounds of 77 and 75.

Ko won the LPGA Taiwan by nine strokes Sunday to regain the No. 1 spot from Inbee Park. The 18-year-old New Zealander has a tour-high five victories, winning three of her last five starts.

HAINAN ISLAND, China – South Korea’s Sei Young Kim took advantage of Chinese teen Lin Xi-yu’s wind-blown collapse to take the lead Friday in the Blue Bay LPGA.

Kim made a 3-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th for an even-par 72 in difficult conditions along the South China Sea at Jian Lake Blue Bay.

The 22-year-old Kim had a 2-under 142 total. She won playoffs this year in the Bahamas and Hawaii in events also played in strong wind on tropical seaside layouts.

“I like the windy weather because I’m using a lot of skills and low cut shots,” Kim said.

The 19-year-old Lin opened with a 67 to take the first-round lead and was 7 under and five strokes ahead after five holes. With her family watching in the tour’s only event in China this year, she bogeyed eight of the last 13 holes for a 77 that left her two strokes behind.

She was one of many to struggle on a day when only five off the 78 players broke par and the scoring average soared to 75.464.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko was tied for 47th at 8 over after a 75. She opened with a 77, her highest score since a career-worst 80 in high wind last year at Royal Birkdale in the Women’s British Open.

Ko won the LPGA Taiwan by nine strokes Sunday to regain the No. 1 spot from Inbee Park. The 18-year-old New Zealander has a tour-high five victories, winning three of her last five starts.

The second-ranked Park withdrew because of pain in her left middle finger after a first-round 75. The South Korean player has four victories this year, winning two of the five majors.

Norway’s Suzann Pettersen had the best round of the day, a 3-under 69 to jump from a tie for 22nd to a tie for second at 1 under with Taiwan’s Candie Kung and Americans Ryann O’Toole and Austin Ernst.

Third-ranked Stacy Lewis of the United States had a 73 to join opening-round leader Xi Yu Lin of China, Canada’s Alena Sharp (70), Australia’s Minjee Lee (70) and Americans Kim Kaufman (72) and Jane Park (74) at even par.

China’s Shanshan Feng was 4 over after a 75. She has four career LPGA Tour victories.

Michelle Wie also was 4 over after a 72.

HAINAN ISLAND, China – China’s Lin Xi-yu took the lead Thursday in the windy Blue Bay LPGA, while Lydia Ko struggled in her first round since regaining the No. 1 spot in the world.

With her family watching at the tour’s lone event in China this season, the 19-year-old Lin shot a 5-under 67 in difficult conditions at Jian Lake Blue Bay. She had the lone bogey-free round on a day when only 10 of the 80 players broke par.

“My mom just got here this morning and she hasn’t watched me play since the U.S. Open,” Lin said. “I’m very happy that my family can be with me this week.”

Ko opened with a 77, her highest score since a career-worst 80 in high wind last year at Royal Birkdale in the Women’s British Open. She won the LPGA Taiwan by nine strokes Sunday to regain the No. 1 spot from Inbee Park. The 18-year-old New Zealander has a tour-high five victories this season, winning three of her last five starts.

Ko had a double bogey on the par-4 second, bogeyed the next three holes and dropped more strokes on 11 and 12. She birdied the par-5 14th and 18th.

Lin hit to hit to 6 inches on the par-3 17th to set up her final birdie.

“I actually hit it a little thin, but the wind was helping,” Lin said.

She missed a birdie chance on the par-5 18th when her 6-foot putt slid by on the right side.

“When I played in the practice round, I thought, ‘This place is pretty tough,'” Lin said “I’m pretty surprised what I did today. I’m really satisfied with my game.”

She has had the two best finishes of her two-year LPGA Tour career on the Asian Swing, opening with a tie for seventh in Malaysia and tying for sixth last week in Taiwan.

Austin Ernst was second after a 68. Fellow Americans Ryann O’Toole and Jane Park were at 70 along with South Koreans Jenny Shin and Sei Young Kim. Third-ranked Stacy Lewis, U.S. Solheim Cup teammate Brittany Lang, Germany’s Caroline Masson and Taiwan’s Candie Kung shot 71.

“Pretty windy out there and then a few of the pins are kind of in kind of tough spots if you get it on the wrong side of the hole,” Ernst said. “But I hit it pretty well all day. Gave myself a lot of looks. Made a lot of good putts. A lot of good pars.”

The 23-year-old Ernst won the Portland Classic last year for lone LPGA Tour title. She won the 2011 NCAA individual title for LSU.

China’s Shanshan Feng had a 73. She has four career LPGA Tour victories.

Canada’s Alena Sharp had a 74.

The second-ranked Park shot a 75. The South Korean player has four victories this year, winning two of the five majors. She tied for second Sunday in a Korea LPGA event.

Michelle Wie opened with a 76. South Africa’s Lee-Anne Pace, the winner last year in the rain-shortened event, also shot 76.

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Lydia Ko ran away with the LPGA Taiwan Championship on Sunday to regain the No. 1 spot in the world ranking.

The 18-year-old New Zealander holed a 30-yard pitch for eagle on the par-5 12th and finished with a 7-under 65 in sunny, breezy conditions at Miramar for a nine-stroke victory.

Ko took the top spot in the world from South Korea’s Inbee Park with her fifth LPGA Tour victory of the season and the 10th of her career. Park skipped her title defense at Miramar to play in a Korea LPGA event, where she tied for second Sunday.

“I think winning and playing well at an event is the top priority,” Ko said. “And then if you get the extra bonus with it, it’s even better. … The winning part is probably the most memorable. I haven’t really thought about being world No. 1 again.”

Ko also took the top spot from Park with a second-place tie in the season-opening event in Florida. Park moved back in front with her major victory in the Women’s PGA Championship in June in New York.

“In Ocala, I was disappointed in the way I finished,” Ko said. “Coming tied second and being world No. 1, I think it’s a little different right now. I think I played really consistently well the last couple weeks, so I think it’s something we can all celebrate and I want to share this with my whole team.”

At 18 years, 6 months, 1 day, Ko is the youngest player to win 10 events on any major tour. Horton Smith set the PGA Tour mark of 21 years, 7 months in 1929, and Nancy Lopez set the previous LPGA Tour record in 1979 at 22 years, 2 months, 5 days.

“I actually met her in Cleveland for an outing a couple months ago,” Ko said about Lopez. “She’s such an amazing person and an amazing golfer. To have beaten her record, it’s an honor.”

Ko broke ties with Park for the tour victory lead and the No. 1 spot in the player of the year points race, and earned $300,000 to increase her tour-leading total to $2,716,753.

Ko finished at 20-under 268 after opening with rounds of 69, 67 and 67 to take a four-stroke lead into the final day.

South Koreans So Yeon Ryu and Ji Eun-hee tied for second.

“She’s still a teenager, so it’s really hard to believe how she acts and how she plays,” Ryu said about Ko. “I feel really happy to be playing with someone really special on the tour. She’s not only a good player, but she’s a really good person. If she was not a good person, I might be jealous, but I totally respect (her).”

Ryu shot a 68, and Ji had a 70. England’s Charley Hull was fourth at 10 under after a 70.

Ko birdied four of the six holes, bogeyed the par-3 seventh, and opened a seven-shot lead with the eagle chip on 12.

“I mis-hit it a little bit,” Ko said. “But I was looking at it and thought it was flying enough and then I saw it kind of landed a yard or two short of the green. When I walked up, I felt like it was a little on the firmer side, so I kind of thought it would bounce up anyway. But I didn’t imagine it going in.”

She added birdies on the par-3 14th and par-5 18th, chipping to a foot on the last.

Ko has three victories in her last five starts. She won in Canada and France – where she became the youngest major champion – in consecutive starts, tied for second two weeks ago in Malaysia and tied for fourth last week in South Korea.

In addition to her 10 LPGA Tour titles, Ko has four other worldwide victories, including a 2013 KLPGA tournament at Miramar and a Ladies European Tour event this year in New Zealand. She won her first LPGA Tour title as an amateur in the 2012 Canadian Women’s Open at a record 15 years, 4 months, 2 days.

Canada’s Alena Sharp finished 11-over-par and tied for 66th.

The tournament was the third in the five-event Asian Swing. The Blue Bay LPGA is next week in China, followed by the Japan Classic.

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Lydia Ko took a four-stroke lead Saturday in the LPGA Taiwan Championship, putting the 18-year-old New Zealander in position to regain the top spot in the world ranking.

Ko had four birdies in a five-hole stretch and closed with another birdie for a 5-under 67 in windy conditions at rain-soaked Miramar.

She would jump from second to first in the world with a victory or second-place finish Sunday and also could take the top spot under other scenarios depending on where top-ranked Inbee Park finishes in the Korea LPGA’s KB Financial Star Championship. Park, the winner last year at Miramar, was tied for fourth Saturday in the South Korean event.

Ko had a 13-under 203 total. South Korea’s Eun-Hee Ji, a stroke ahead after each of the first two rounds, was second after a 72.

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Ji Eun-hee took a one-stroke lead over Lydia Ko into the weekend in the LPGA Taiwan Championship, overcoming a double bogey with three straight birdies Friday in tricky wind conditions at Miramar.

The 29-year-old South Korean player finished with a 3-under 69 to reach 9-under 135. She made the double bogey on the par-5 sixth after hitting her drive left into the jungle, rallied with birdies on Nos. 9-11 and closed with seven straight pars.

Ji won the 2008 LPGA Championship and 2009 U.S. Women’s Open, both major tournaments, for her lone LPGA Tour titles.

The second-ranked Ko birdied the par-5 18th for a 67. She’s trying to regain the No. 1 spot in the world from South Korea’s Inbee Park, the winner last year at Miramar.

The 18-year-old New Zealander has four LPGA Tour victories this year, the last a major victory last month in France in the Evian Championship. She won the 2013 Swinging Skirts World Ladies Masters at Miramar for her first victory as a professional.

Park is skipping her title defense to play in the Korea LPGA’s KB Financial Star Championship, where she dropped into a tie for seventh Friday after a 2-over 73.

England’s Charley Hull and China’s Lin Xi-yu, both 19, were tied for third at 7 under. Hull shot a 69, and Lin had a 70. Hull missed a 5-foot birdie putt on 18.

South Koreans So Yeon Ryu (69) and Sun Young Yoo (71) were 5 under. Norway’s Suzann Pettersen followed her opening 74 with a 66 – the best round of the day – to move into a tie for seventh at 4 under. She won the event in 2012 and 2013 at Sunrise.

American Morgan Pressel and Germany’s Sandra Gal, tied for third after opening rounds of 68, dropped off the leaderboard. Pressel had a 75 to fall into a tie for 16th at 1 under, and Gal was tied for 36th at 2 over after a 78.

Taiwanese star Yani Tseng was tied for 32nd at 1 over after a 73. She won the inaugural event in 2011 at Sunrise. Jessica Korda, the winner two weeks ago in Malaysia, and Michelle Wie were 2 over after their second straight 73s.

Third-ranked Stacy Lewis was tied for 55th at 5 over after a 72. She opened with a 77, her worst score since a 78 in the final round of the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open. The American finished second last year at Miramar.

Canada’s Alena Sharp is the lone Canuck in the field. She carded a second-round 73 and has a share of 55th at 5-over.

The tournament is third in the five-event Asian Swing. The Blue Bay LPGA is next week in China, followed by the Japan Classic.

New Taipei City, Taiwan – Eun-Hee Ji shot 6-under 66 on Thursday to take a one-shot lead over China’s Xi Yu Lin at the Fubon LPGA Taiwan Championship.

The 29-year from South Korea birdied four of her last five holes in windy conditions and holds the lead after
18 holes for the first time since the 2013 Mobile Bay LPGA Classic. Ji, a former U.S. Women’s Open champ, said she used the wind to her advantage.

“Actually, I didn’t fight with the wind,” said Ji. “I just using the wind a lot. My ball flight wasn’t too lower today. I just see my ball line and I just look at my shot, my image was really good.”

Ji has two career LPGA Tour victories and will try to break back into the winner’s circle for the first time since her major breakthrough in 2009. Her season-best finish and only top-10 of the year came at the Evian Championship where she tied for eighth. Ji had two chip ins and only 23 putts in her round today.

“It’s getting better from the beginning of the season to the last of the season,” said Ji. “I just working on my short game last week and the week before, because my chipping wasn’t feeling good. So I was working a lot this week and I just chipped in twice today and I think I worked on a lot of right things.”

A group of four players sit two shots back and in a tie for third including Morgan Pressel, Sandra Gal, Charley Hull and Sun Young Yoo. Rolex Rankings No. 2 Lydia Ko (T7) is three shots back and tied with seven others at 3-under par.

Five-time major champion Yani Tseng and TLPGA member Meng Chu Chen were the top Taiwanese performers on day one and sit six shots back after rounds of even-par 72.

Canada’s Alena Sharp shot a 4-over 76 and tied for 67th.

VENICE, Fla. – Professional golfers from all over the world will descend on Venice, Fla., for Stage II of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament. Players are trying to finish in the top-80 and advance to final stage of Qualifying Tournament where LPGA Tour dreams are realized.

Stage II is a 72-hole tournament held at Plantation Golf and Country Club on both the Panther & Bobcat Courses. The first-round is scheduled for Thursday, October 22 with the final-round slated for Sunday, October 25.

The top-80 players plus ties at the end of Sunday’s final round will advance to final stage of LPGA Q-School, which will be held at LPGA International Golf Course – Jones & Hill Courses from Wednesday, December 2 through Sunday, December 6. There is no cut at Stage II and players that complete 72 holes will automatically receive Symetra Tour status for 2016.

A total of 197 players, 60 of which advanced out of LPGA Qualifying Tournament Stage I in late August at Mission Hills Country Club, will be competing to advance to final stage. The white line yardage for the Bobcat Course is 6,536 while the total yardage for the Panther Course is 6,363.

Players that finish in the top-20 at final stage will receive category 12 status on the priority list for the LPGA Tour while players that finish 21 through 45 will receive category 17 status (conditional).

88 INTERNATIONAL PLAYERS FROM 31 COUNTRIES: Of the 197 players in the field, 88 are representing a country outside the United States. There are a total of 31 countries (not including the United States) that will be represented in Venice.

Seven Canadians will play in the competition, including Taylor Candler (Kincardine, Ont.), Laura DeMarco (LaSalle, Ont.), Christina Foster (Toronto), Natalie Gleadall (Stratford, Ont.), Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.), Megan Osland (Kelowna, B.C.) and Anne-Catherine Tanguay (Québec, Que.).

There are 11 players from Thailand, seven from Canada, six from Australia, China and Mexico and five from South Korea and the United Kingdowm.

There will be 108 players representing the United States.

INCHEON, South Korea – Lexi Thompson broke out of a crowded pack Sunday to win the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship for her second victory of the year and sixth overall.

The 20-year-old American closed with a 3-under 69 to beat Taiwan’s Yani Tseng and South Korea’s Sung Hyun Park by a stroke on Sky 72’s Ocean Course.

“It’s very satisfying.” Thompson said. “I always look forward to coming back to South Korea and playing in front of these amazing fans. I love Sky 72. It’s a great golf course. Getting a win, it means so much.”

Lydia Ko missed a chance to take the top spot in the world from South Korean star Inbee Park, finishing with a 72 that dropped the 18-year-old South Korean-born New Zealander into a tie for fourth at 13 under with South Korea’s Amy Yang and American Gerina Piller.

Yang birdied the final nine holes for a 62. She became the first player in tour history to close with nine straight birdies, tied the record for consecutive birdies set by Beth Daniel in 1999, broke the nine-hole mark for relation to par at 9 under and matched the record for the lowest total at 27. Yang also tied the course record set by Sung Hyun Park on Thursday.

“I don’t know what just happened. Just can’t believe,” Yang said. “Shots were great. Early in the week I was shaky, but I don’t know, this back nine was crazy good.”

Thompson took a two-stroke lead with a birdie on the short par-4 15th. She drove to the right of the green and hit a flop shot to 8 feet.

“When I went for that green and I saw my ball bounce over, I’m like, ‘Probably not going to be the best chip shot, or the easiest,” Thompson said. “But I love hitting flop shots out of the rough. I just opened the blade wide open and just took a big swing at it. I figured, at worst, it would run through the fringe but have a straight uphill putt.”

On the par-5 18th, she hit a 290-yard drive, put her 190-yard second shot into deep rough left of the green and lashed another flop to 12 feet to set up a two-putt par.

“I’m overall a very aggressive player,” Thompson said. “So, if I have 190 front, I’m not laying up. But it’s good to play aggressive and know that I can get up-and-down.”

Thompson opened with rounds of 68, 67 and 69 to enter the final round a shot behind Ko and Sung Hyun Park. The 6-foot Florida player birdied the final three holes on the front nine to take the lead. She bogeyed the par-4 11th, and got the stroke back with the birdie on 15.

Thompson finished at 15-under 273, earned $300,000 and is projected to jump from fifth to fourth in the world ranking. She also won in July in Michigan.

Sung Hyun Park birdied the 18th for a 71 in her first start on the LPGA Tour.

Playing the group ahead of Thompson, Tseng birdied the final two holes for a 68. The former top-ranked player won the last of her 15 LPGA Tour titles in March 2012.

“Getting closer and closer,” Tseng said. “I’m very feeling good about my game.”

Ko ended up needing to win or finish in a two-way tie for second to regain the top spot in the world. Inbee Park shot a 69 to tie for 15th at 8 under in her home event.

“It was great to just see family, my niece and nephews out here,” Ko said. “It’s just really good to be able to play in front of them. Doesn’t matter if I shoot even par, under par, over par, you don’t get to play in front of family or relatives that often.”

INCHEON, South Korea – Lydia Ko and Sung Hyun Park rebounded to top the crowded leaderboard Saturday in the LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship.

In position to take the top spot in the world, the second-ranked Ko overcame a double bogey with two late birdies in a 3-under 69. Park bounced back from a second-round 74 with a 67 to match Ko at 13 under 203 on Sky 72’s Ocean Course.

“You might not even get one day out of the 365 days in a year where you hit it perfect,” Ko said. “I always say I love golf, because there is no perfect.”

Ko made the double bogey on the par-4 14th, driving left into the water and missing a 4-foot putt. The 18-year-old South Korean-born New Zealander rallied, driving the short par-4 15th to set up a two-putt birdie and making a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th.

“There’s still a long day ahead of me,” Ko said. “But if I am holding the trophy at the end, it will be very special. To win at your birthplace, it’s hard to do. To be able to win in front of the Korean fans and my family and relatives who have flown over from Jeju Island, I think it would be a very special moment.”

Park birdied three of the last four holes, also driving the 15th, holing a 20-footer on 17 and chipping to 2 feet on the par-5 18th. Making her first career LPGA Tour start, the 22-year-old South Korean player opened with a course-record 62. She would earn an LPGA Tour card with a victory.

“Actually, I had this conversation with my mom and we were just talking about it,” Park said. “I told her, ‘If I should win this championship, I still don’t think I’m ready for the LPGA Tour.’ And even if I don’t win tomorrow, I think I would be quite satisfied with the results of the championship so far.”

Ranked 54th, Park won the Korea LPGA’s Se Ri Pak Invitational two weeks ago for her third victory of the season. She won the Korea Women’s Open in June.

“To be really honest, I don’t think I ever really thought about winning, and so I wasn’t really confident coming into this week,” Park said. “I was more worried and nervous, but I’m quite proud of myself.”

Ko would take the No. 1 ranking from Inbee Park with a victory Sunday and also could move up with a second- or third-place finish depending on where her South Korean rival finishes. Inbee Park was tied for 18th at 5 under after a 70.

Ko tied for second last week in the LPGA Malaysia after winning her previous two starts in Canada and France, where she became the youngest major champion. Ko and Inbee Park, a two-time major winner this year, are tied for the tour victory lead with four.

American Lexi Thompson and South Korea’s Mirim Lee each birdied the 18th to pull within a stroke of the lead. Thompson had a 69, and Lee shot 67.

“I just know I need to make birdies, focus on myself and control my game,” Thompson said. “That’s all I can do. Lydia is playing great and she’s going to make birdies, we all know that. But it’s not just her.”

Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn and South Korea’s Yoon-Ji Cho were two strokes back at 11 under. Jutanugarn holed out from 110 yards for eagle on the par-5 fifth in a round of 67, and Cho had a 69.

Taiwan’s Yani Tseng (69) was 10 under, and Norway’s Suzann Pettersen (68) was 9 under along with China’s Shanshan Feng (71). Pettersen won the event in 2007 and 2012.