LOS ANGELES — It’s all set for a thrilling Sunday finish at the JM Eagle LA Championship presented by Plastpro, with a jam-packed leaderboard and nearly a dozen players within five shots of the lead.
Three players — rookies Akie Iwai, Ingrid Lindblad, and two-time LPGA Tour winner Lauren Coughlin — share the 54-hole lead at 17-under par heading into the final round at El Caballero Country Club.
Iwai, a six-time winner on the Japan LPGA Tour, surged with a bogey-free 64 on Saturday, fueled by an early eagle and a late run of birdies. Playing alongside her twin sister Chisato, Akie impressed by hitting 16 of 18 greens and firing 10 approach shots inside 20 feet.
“It was really fun. Really, really fun,” Iwai said about playing with her sister.
Coughlin matched Iwai at 17-under with a 66, staying bogey-free through three rounds. She made four birdies in her first five holes and closed strong with birdies at 16 and 18 to keep pace atop the leaderboard.
“I’m just going to try to stay in my bubble and not worry about what’s going on out there,” said Coughlin, who previously converted a 54-hole lead into a win at the 2024 ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open.
Lindblad, co-leader overnight, overcame a rocky bogey at No. 9 with a strong back nine, carding a 68 to maintain her share of the lead. The rookie from Sweden has recorded 20 birdies this week, tied for second-most in the field.
Rookie Ina Yoon sits solo fourth at 15-under after matching the day’s low round with a 64. Yoon’s aggressive play, combined with sharp iron work in warm conditions, put her right in the mix for her first LPGA title.
Three players — Minjee Lee, Rio Takeda, and World No. 1 Nelly Korda — are tied for fifth at 14-under, three shots back. Korda, after a bumpy start, rallied with an eagle on the 16th, but a missed short putt on 18 left her with a 67.
“It stinks,” Korda said about her closing bogey, “but overall, I hit some really solid shots today.”
Takeda was among Saturday’s biggest movers, shooting a bogey-free 64 highlighted by nine birdies to rocket up the leaderboard.
Meanwhile, early-week co-leader Ashleigh Buhai fell out of contention after a 77, battling a sprained MCL in her left knee.
Sunday’s final round tees off at 7:55 a.m. PT with the trophy ceremony scheduled around 6 p.m. PT on the 18th green.
Key Stats and Highlights:
- Six 2025 LPGA rookies are inside the top 10.
- Akie Iwai leads the field in Greens in Regulation (50/54) and has made just two bogeys all week.
- Ingrid Lindblad needed just 84 putts through three rounds.
- Lauren Coughlin has made only one bogey over 54 holes, the fewest in the field.
- Three rookies — Iwai, Yoon, and Takeda — shot eight-under 64s on Saturday.
The stage is set — and with so many players within striking distance, Sunday promises fireworks in Los Angeles.
