Suzann six shots clear after breaking
Ladies European Tour 54-hole record

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE:
Norway’s Suzann Pettersen broke the Ladies European Tour record for the lowest 54-hole total in a 72-hole event after shooting an eight-under-par 64 in the third round of the Deutsche Bank Ladies’ Swiss Open today.
After opening with a 67 and posting a course record-equalling 63 in the second round, the 27-year-old from Oslo emerged six shots clear of the field after 54 holes, on a total of 22-under-par 194 at Golf Gerre Losone.
The record was previously held by Australia’s Karrie Webb, who sat at 18-under-par 198 after three rounds at the 1997 Weetabix Women’s British Open.
The world number three, Pettersen is just three shots away from equalling Laura Davies’ 72-hole scoring record of 25-under-par 267, set at the 1995 Guardian Holidays Irish Open at St Margaret’s.
Pettersen said that she wasn’t that driven by record breaking. “I have my own little goals and we’ll see where it takes me,” she said.
The world number three wears a ball marker with 54 on her cap, in reference to Swedish golf coach Pia Nilsson’s “Vision 54” concept, with the idea being that one birdies every hole. “It’s pretty much the intention when you start on the first hole but this course is all about getting the ball in play and from there trying to be very aggressive. Eight under of course is a great round but it still feels like I left a couple out there. It felt more work than yesterday,” Pettersen added.
South Korean teenager Amy Yang, who has played with Pettersen in every round, recorded her first hole-in-one at the 145yd par-3 seventh hole, for which she won an Omega watch.
The 18-year-old, who won the 2006 ANZ Ladies Masters in Australia as a 16-year-old amateur, shot 65 to finish the third day in outright second on 16-under-par. On her ace Yang said: “I hit a soft seven-iron but I couldn’t see it because of the bushes. I thought, “Wow!””
Yang added that she was impressed by Pettersen’s play: “I think she just plays so easily. Every time she hit the fairway, hit the green and one putt. She plays so easily. I thought I was practising hard enough but after three rounds of playing golf with her I feel I need to practise more and more.”
Yang was especially impressed with the Norwegian’s short game.
Gwladys Nocera, placed third on 15-under-par, conceded that she may be playing for second position. Nocera, who won her maiden title at the same venue in 2006, rocketed up the leader board after lowering her own course record from two years ago with a 10-under-par 62. She enters the final round seven shots behind the Pettersen.
“Even if I finish second behind her it’s still a great performance, I think. I’m just going to play my game and try to see how I stand behind her,” said Nocera, a six time LET tournament champion.
“I played really well. I don’t think I could have hit the ball better than I did today. I was getting frustrated because I have been hitting the ball so well. Yesterday I hit 18 greens and I just made three-under. I was just thinking, “Okay I need to make putts now because I know I can shoot low.”
"It was fun. It feels really good to be back here. Last year was tough. I had a hard time defending my title but I remember so many good things from two years ago. Even last year I didn’t play well but the course is great, I love it and the greens are perfect. I think this is the place for me.”
In the final round Nocera will tee up alongside recent LET winner Lotta Wahlin from Sweden, who had a 66 to finish on 12-under. Meanwhile England’s Laura Davies is in fifth place on 11-under and will play with Norway’s Marianne Skarpnord, one of three players on ten-under.
Pettersen carded seven birdies, one eagle, and her only bogey- at the par-4 14th - in her third round. Even then, she missed several chances, including a 15ft putt for eagle at the par-5 18th.
THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3 x 72)
194 Suzann Pettersen (Nor) 67 63 64
200 Amy Yang (USA) 67 68 65
201 Gwladys Nocera (Fra) 70 69 62
204 Lotta Maria Wahlin (Swe) 71 67 66
205 Laura Davies 69 68 68
206 Paula Marti (Spa) 67 70 69, Marianne Skarpnord (Nor) 71 66 69, Ludivine Kreutz (Fra) 67 70 69
208 Krista Ursula Wikstrom (Fin) 68 70 70, Ellen Smets (Bel) 71 66 71
209 Rebecca Coakley 63 74 72, Veronica Zorzi (Ita) 69 71 69, Maria Verchenova (Rus) 70 71 68, Lisa Hall 67 69 73, Cecillia Ekelundh (Swe) 72 67 70
210 Marina Arruti (Spa) 67 76 67
211 Caroline Afonso (Fra) 72 71 68, Marta Prieto (Spa) 71 70 70, Nicole Gergely (Aut) 68 73 70, Becky Brewerton 71 73 67, Emma Cabrera Bello (Spa) 71 72 68
212 Joanne Mills (Aus) 72 70 70, Dana Lacey (Aus) 70 70 72, Lydia Hall 70 72 70, Anais Maggetti (Swi) 67 72 73, Trish Johnson (USA) 74 71 67, Rebecca Hudson 70 74 68
213 Laura Terebey (USA) 72 69 72, Ana Sanchez (Spa) 68 75 70, Marjet Van Der Graaff (Ned) 69 71 73
214 Kiran Matharu 70 73 71, Iben Tinning (Den) 69 74 71, Martina Gillen 74 67 73, Georgina Simpson 69 73 72, Samantha Head 71 72 71, Johanna Westerberg (Swe) 72 70 72
215 Felicity Johnson 71 75 69, Henrietta Zuel 73 73 69, Lee-Anne Pace (Rsa) 71 70 74, Tania Elosegui (Spa) 72 72 71, Amanda Moltke-Leth (Den) 71 75 69, Fame More 72 69 74, Kaisa Ruuttila (Fin) 75 69 71
216 Rachel Bell 71 75 70, Kirsty S Taylor 69 74 73, Lynn Kenny 71 74 71, Anna-Lise Caudal (Fra) 71 72 73, Lynn t Brooky (Nzl) 73 72 71, Stefania Croce (Ita) 74 69 73, Anna Knutsson (Swe) 74 68 74, Anna Tybring (Swe) 70 71 75
217 Martina Eberl (Ger) 71 72 74, Lara Tadiotto (Bel) 75 70 72, Clare Queen 73 72 72
218 Anja Monke (Ger) 70 74 74, Kate Combes (Aus) 73 70 75, Jenna Wilson 74 71 73, Bronwyn Mullins-Lane (Aus) 70 76 72
219 Laura Cabanillas Gomez (Spa) 72 72 75, Katharina Schallenberg (Ger) 69 76 74, Maria Boden (Swe) 76 70 73, Sophie Sandolo (Ita) 70 74 75
220 Bettina Hauert (Ger) 72 74 74
222 Nikki Garrett (Aus) 68 76 78
223 Denise Becker (Ger) 73 73 77