Baek & Bae atop KEB-Hanabank Championship


South Koreans Hee Kyung Bae and Kyu Jung Baek each shot 4-under 68s to rise to the top of the leaderboard in the KEB-Hanabank Championship. The $2 million LPGA Tour event began Thursday at Sky 72 Golf Club in Incheon, South Korea.

The two regulars on the Korean LPGA Tour share the top spot at 5-under 211, one stroke ahead of 10 players. Baek had six birdies and two bogeys, while Bae had five birdies and a lone dropped shot.

"I think my putting was strong today and my shot was relatively weaker compared to my putting," the 18-year-old Baek said. "But I think I was able to manage my game because I did a lot of par saves. And so ultimately, I was able to get a low score."

Sharing third at 4-under are South Koreans Inbee Park (68), In Gee Chun (69), Ilhee Lee (71) and Yoon Kyung Heo (70), Thailand's Pornanong Phatlum (68), Germany's Sandra Gal (71), Norway's Suzann Pettersen (71), American Brittany Lincicome (72), Spain's Beatriz Recari (72) and France's Karine Icher.

Icher, who held the lead heading into Saturday, carded four birdies and five bogeys in the third round.

With a victory Sunday Park - who's never won in her home country - can supplant Stacy Lewis as No. 1 in the Rolex Ranking. Lewis isn't entered this week.

"I just want to have the ball striking the way it is right now," said Park, an 11-time winner - including five majors - on the LPGA Tour. "I'm probably going to be a little more nervous tomorrow but want to keep the ball-striking and hopefully a few more putts will drop."

Pettersen hopes her good fortune in the tournament continues on Sunday. "I'm trying to just stick to the game plan," said Pettersen, winner of the event in 2007 and 2012. "I mean, I still feel like I have a low round on this course in me. Hopefully we can knock it out tomorrow."

Only two behind the co-leaders are Americans Michelle Wie (67), Angela Stanford (68) and Cristie Kerr (69), Scotland's Catriona Matthew (70) and Spain's Azahara Munoz (72). Wie is making her first start since injuring her hand and withdrawing in the first round of the Evian Championship in September.

No. 3-ranked Lydia Ko carded a 72 and is tied for 18th at 214 with American Gerina Piller and Korean Eun-Hee Ji, who each shot 71.

For all the scores, visit www.lpga.com.