UC Davis' Kim Leaps To Fourth Place, UC Irvine Tied For 23rd at NCAA Champioships

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NCAA Championship Results

UC Davis' Alice Kim enters the final round of the NCAA Championships in fourth place, four strokes behind leader Jennifer Song from USC.

Jane Chin is leading the UC Irvine squad with a three-round total of 225, tying her for 24th.

Three birdies over her final nine holes, including one on the 18th, gave UC Davis sophomore Alice Kim a sparkling round of two-under 70 following Thursday's third round of the NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championships at Caves Valley Golf Club, vaulting her to fourth place with a three-round total of 219. Her round of 70 was the second-best among the 125-competitor field.

USC's Jennifer Song sits atop the leaderboard with a three-day total of 215, followed by Purdue's Maria Hernandez and UCLA's Maria Jose Uribe who each carded 218 after Thursday's round.

Kim, who began the day tied for 16th, is making her second consecutive appearance at the NCAA Finals after qualifying with an eighth-place finish at the NCAA West Regional at Arizona State two weeks ago. She opened her championship with a 74 on Tuesday before carding a 75 on Wednesday.

UC Irvine, who bettered its previous round by four strokes, is tied for 23rd after shooting a 312 Thursday for a 54-hole total of 948 (320-316-312). Senior Jane Chin carded her third consecutive 75 and is tied for 24th with a three-round total of 225. Junior Patty Chawalitmetha shot a four-over-par 76, her lowest round of the tournament, and is tied for 74th with a three-day score of 238 (78-80-76), while Lalita Patipaksiri is 110th after totaling a 242 (89-82-80).

Sophomore Hillary Packard posted her best round of the tournament, 81, to sit 117th with a total of 250 (87-82-81). Freshman Joy Trotter shot 85 in the third round and remains in 118th place with a 251 (87-79-85).

The 2009 NCAA Division I Women's Golf Championship concludes Friday, May 22. Live scoring is available at www.golfstat.com.