Round three of The ANNIKA didn’t have the start that Cavan’s Leona Maguire was hoping for as the 30-year-old failed to bounce back from a difficult second round on Friday.
After an opening 67 that left her inside the top 10, a second-round 72 left the two-time LPGA Tour winner in the lower half of the weekend starters and further troubles off the tee alongside inaccurate approach shots made life difficult for Maguire as she could only manage an even-par round.
Maguire was slow to start, making bogey at the par-4 second before adding another bogey at the par-4 eighth to take the two time LPGA winner to two-over for the day and one-over for the tournament.
Needing a strong back nine, Maguire parred the next four holes before a flurry of form on the 14th and 15th holes, where she birdied both.
Those birdies would be the last of Maguire’s as she ended her third round on even-par, sitting in T47 on one-under.
Maguire is now projected to finish 57th in the Race to CME Globe rankings, dancing with the chance of falling outside the top 60 and losing her place at the Tour Championship next week.
Although her spot is all but sealed, Maguire will be looking for a strong final day to cement her place and to gain some momentum for the final event of the season.
Sweden’s Linn Grant held her lead at the top as the 26-year-old now holds a one stroke lead heading into the final round aided by an impressive bogey free five-under third round to take her to 14-under.
“I hit a lot of greens. I think that’s been my secret this week,” Grant said. “Just really being very confident with my iron game, feeling like I can really go after pins. I’m having a lot of fun out there.”
USA’s Jennifer Kupcho sits in solo second place, matching Grant’s third round 65 with a bogey free round of her own.
“I think the setup was still fine. They do a really good job setting up this golf course every year,” Kupcho said. “It’s a little frustrating when you’re the leaders or in the back of the pack and having to wait on every shot.”
There is a two way tie for third as both Grace Kim and Nataliya Guseva sit on 11-under, followed by Lucy Li, Gaby Lopez and 18 hole leader Haeran Rya who all sit on 10-under.
Defending champion Nelly Korda who is winless this year after seven titles a year ago, overcame some early bogeys with three birdies in a four-hole stretch toward the end of her round to move closer to the lead. Korda’s 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th grazed the lip, and she missed the 4-foot par putt coming back and shot a two-under 68.
“Today was kind of like the first day where nothing was really kind of going but then found a few maybe on the last few holes and then ended the round poorly,” Korda said.
Leaderboard.
