Staff WriterIf you thought the Buick LPGA Shanghai couldn’t get any more unpredictable, think again. Japan’s Minami Katsu has taken a two-shot lead at 17-under par heading into Sunday, chasing not just her first LPGA Tour title, but a piece of history in one of the most competitive seasons the Tour has ever seen.
Through three rounds at Qizhong Garden Golf Club, Katsu’s scorecard has been a study in quiet precision and resilience — six birdies, two bogeys, and a fairways-and-greens clinic that would make a range rat weep.
She hit 13 of 14 fairways, 14 of 18 greens, and needed just 29 putts on Saturday, tying for the lowest total putts (81) in the field through 54 holes. Her three-day total of 199 is the lowest on the LPGA Tour since the 2024 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship — and she’s done it all without so much as a hint of nerves.
“I didn’t know about that, there were no multiple winners this season,” Katsu said when told of the LPGA’s record-breaking spread of champions. “That was the first time I heard about that. So a bit surprised about that. Also, it’s very competitive out here and I feel like there is a chance for everyone. Everyone is grinding hard each day.”
At 26, Katsu is already a sensation back home, having turned professional at 17 after becoming the youngest winner in JLPGA history at age 15. With eight JLPGA titles and nine career LPGA top-10s, her steady rise has been more marathon than sprint — and now, she’s on the brink of something special.
A win at the Buick LPGA Shanghai would make her the first Japanese player ever to lift the trophy and the 12th Rolex First-Time Winner of the 2025 season, tying the all-time record set just two years ago.
Hot on her heels are two proven winners who know exactly how to close. Minjee Lee and Jeeno Thitikul sit tied for second at 15-under, two shots adrift but far from out of the hunt.
Lee, fresh off a 9-birdie blitz on Saturday — including a stretch of five straight from the 7th to 11th — looks every bit the assassin who claimed this year’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
She hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation with just 28 putts and now finds herself in familiar territory: within five shots of the lead for the 10th time this season.
“I can’t control what anyone else is doing,” Lee said, ever the picture of composure. “I’m just going to focus on what I can do and do it to the best of my ability… just try and execute every single shot like 100% and be super committed.
It’s really hot out there, so staying mentally focused and putting one foot in front of the other is going to be important.”
Thitikul, meanwhile, continues her quietly brilliant run as the world’s No. 1 player. Her third-round 67 was bogey-free, and she was one of only two players to hit every single green in regulation — a stat that would make Ben Hogan tip his cap.
“Take it just really good,” Thitikul said of her string of runner-up finishes. “People might value the winner, but I think every position means something. If you told me I can get second in every tournament this year… I’ll take it.”
Behind the leading trio lurks a cluster of dangerous names at 14-under, including Jenny Bae and Somi Lee — both of whom are one hot Sunday away from making headlines of their own.
Bae, the 22-year-old rookie, shrugged off a rough Friday finish with the poise of a veteran. “Today was definitely a little better than yesterday,” she said. “My coach told me just forget it. It’s just one bad hole. It’s not going to define your entire round.”
Somi Lee, already a winner this year at the Dow Championship, is aiming to make it two for Korea in 2025. “I think this round boosts my confidence for tomorrow,” she said. “Tomorrow I want to focus on one single shot at a time. The result — nobody will know the result. Just try to play well.”
And then there’s the wildcard: amateur Ying Xu, who sits T6 after a stunning 65. Fresh off an individual victory at the World Amateur Team Championships, Xu could earn more LEAP points with a top-10 finish in Shanghai — a result that would set the Chinese golf scene alight.
For all its storylines, this year’s Buick LPGA Shanghai has been a masterclass in unpredictability. Twenty-six events in, the LPGA has seen 26 different champions.
If Katsu, Bae, or another first-timer pulls it off on Sunday, it would mark the 27th — a record that underlines the extraordinary depth of the women’s game right now.
As the final round dawns over Qizhong, it’s Katsu’s to lose — but with Lee and Thitikul breathing down her neck, and the ghosts of three-putts past waiting to pounce, the closing stretch could turn into something unforgettable.
In Shanghai, history’s on the line. And if there’s one thing this season has proven, it’s that on the LPGA Tour in 2025, nothing is guaranteed — except drama.
