Katherine Hull leads ANZ

Ladies Masters by three

FROM THE LADIES' EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
(with some additional words by Colin Farquharson)
Rising Australian star Katherine Hull challenged the field to “bring it on” ahead of this week’s ANZ Ladies Masters at RACV Royal Pines Resort, Queensland in Australia.
The 26-year-old Queenslander, pictured above, backed up that statement by shooting 68 in swirling winds today and taking a three shot lead into the final day.
Hull’s round included six birdies and two bogeys. She birdied the last two holes to reach a three-round total of 12-under-par. Fellow Queenslander Tamie Durdin finished the day in second on nine-under-par after a 66, with American Mollie Fankhauser a shot further back in third after a 68.
“It wasn’t easy out there but I stayed patient and finished with two nice birdies. I am really happy about the way it went,” said Hull, who was the leading Australian player on the US LPGA Tour last year, ranked 13th on the money list with more than US $1 million in earnings.
After battling away for four years in America, Hull secured her maiden LPGA title at the Canadian Women’s Open in Ottawa last year. Now she wants to prove herself on home soil.
“I believe I can win but there are 18 holes out there that are still to be played and some great names on the leader board,” she said. “You can’t take it for granted. You’ve just got to focus on your own game and hopefully it’s enough at the end.”
Hull has been a runner-up at both of the events she has played on the Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour over the last fortnight, the LG Bing Lee New South Wales Women’s Open and the New Zealand Open.
Now she has the chance to go one better but despite looking relaxed she said: “I won’t be relaxing at all.”
Durdin said she expected to feel nervous on the final day but would learn from her experiences at Royal Pines last year. The 31-year-old, who plays most of her golf in Japan, started the last round tied for the lead but shot a 76 on the final day to end up in joint 23rd place.
“It’s almost déjà vu,” Durdin said. “Last year I felt that I was really ready to go. I felt that it was time to step up and win really. Maybe I put too much emphasis on that.”
Durdin, a renowned under-achiever in Australian women’s golf, has been working with sports psychologist Jonah Oliver, who is based at Queensland University, and now feels better equipped to deal with feeling the butterflies that she says are inevitable.
I’m going to feel nervous tomorrow. I’m going to be anxious tomorrow and yes; I’m probably going to hit some bad shots tomorrow. I’m just going to accept that and go into tomorrow just knowing that and it helps,” she said.
The reigning Ricoh Women’s British Open champion Jiyai Shin from South Korea shares fourth place with compatriot So Yeon Ryu, first round co-leader Becky Brewerton, who shot a third-round 70, and Australians Kristie Smith and Sarah Kemp.
Shin, the world No.5, shot a third round of 72, despite having been hospitalised for two hours on Friday evening. She had complained of feeling numb in her hands and was fed by a drip.
Shin’s caddie Dean Hearden said: “If Jiyai makes more than one three-putt you know there is something wrong and it is not her golf. She battled like a trooper.”
Shin added: “It was a little bit of a tough day but tomorrow I will try my best.”
It was a tough day for the second round leader, Australian Nikki Campbell, who slipped back into a share of 15th position on four-under after a 78.
Australia’s Karrie Webb shot 69 and finished the day tied with Campbell. Sitting eight shots off the lead, for Webb a seventh Masters trophy remains within reach.
SCOTSWATCH: Lynn Kenny slipped back a bit in the standings with a 75 for three-over 219. The Dunblane player had only two birdies, the first and the 14th. Her low point was a double bogey 7 at the long 12th. She had earlier slipped shots at the fourth, sixth and 16th in halves of 38 (one over) and 37 (two over).
THIRD ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 216 (3 x 72)
204 Katherine Hull (Aus) 69 67 68
207 Tamie Durdin (Aus) 70 71 66
208 Mollie Fankhauser (US) 70 70 68
210 Sarah Kemp (Aus) 73 68 69, Becky Brewerton (Wal) 67 73 70, So Yeon Ryu (Kor) 71 68 71, Ji-Yai Shin (Kor) 69 69 72, Kristie Smith (Aus) 73 62 75
211 Linda Wessberg (Swe) 72 72 67, Gwladys Nocera (Fra) 69 73 69, Anna Rawson (Aus) 71 70 70, Ai Miyazato (Jpn) 71 70 70, Cherie Byrnes (Aus) 69 71 71, Marianne Skarpnord (Nor) 67 72 72
212 Ya-Ni Tseng (Tpe) 71 72 69, Karrie Webb (Aus) 70 73 69, Titiya Plucksataporn (Tha) 74 68 70, Lindsey Wright (Aus) 71 70 71, Alison Walshe (US) 69 70 73, Ursula Wikstrom (Fin) 68 69 75, Nikki Campbell (Aus) 69 65 78
213 Nikki Garrett (Aus) 72 70 71, Haeji Kang (Kor) 69 72 72, Hee-Kyung Seo (Kor) 72 69 72, Stacy Lee Bregman (Rsa) 68 73 72, Beth Allen (US) 69 72 72, Samantha Head (Eng) 70 70 73, Frances Bondad (Aus) 70 70 73, Aram Cho (Kor) 72 68 73, Beatriz Recari (Spa) 73 67 73, Rebecca Flood (Aus) 69 69 75, Lee-Anne Pace (Rsa) 67 70 76
214 Trish Johnson (Eng) 75 70 69, Anne-Lise Caudal (Fra) 72 72 70, Rachel Hetherington (Aus) 70 73 71, Bobea Park (Kor) 71 72 71
215 Wendy Doolan (Aus) 73 73 69, Vicky Thomas (Aus) 74 72 69, Diana Dalessio (US) 72 73 70, He Yong Choi (Kor) 70 74 71, Nina Reis (Swe) 75 68 72, Melissa Reid (Eng) 74 69 72, Rachel Bailey (Aus) 70 72 73, II-Hee Lee (Kor) 67 74 74, Stephanie Na (Aus) 72 69 74, Carmen Alonso (Spa) 68 71 76
216 Jin Joo Kim (Kor) 70 74 72, Tania Elosegui (Spa) 74 70 72, Hye Youn Kim (Kor) 68 75 73
217 Rebecca Hudson (Eng) 72 74 71, Laura Davies (Eng) 79 67 71, Johanna Westerberg (Swe) 71 74 72, Chang-Hee Lee (Kor) 72 72 73, Ji-Na Lim (Kor) 74 69 74, Karen Lunn (Aus) 71 72 74, Smriti Mehra (Ind) 73 69 75, Joanne Mills (Aus) 73 69 75
218 Karen Quinn (Aus) 78 68 72, Felicity Johnson (Eng) 71 74 73, Whitney Hillier (Aus) 72 73 73, Sarah-Jane Smith (Aus) 73 72 73, Lorie Kane (Can) 71 72 75, Sarah Oh (Aus) 70 72 76, Dana Lacey (Aus) 70 70 78
219 Diana Luna (Ita) 74 72 73, Beth Bader (USA) 73 73 73, Lynn Kenny (Sco) 72 72 75, Ji-Hye Jang (Kor) 70 71 78
220 Bettina Hauert (Ger) 76 70 74, Christel Boeljon (Ned) 72 74 74, Christine Hallstrom (Swe) 71 75 74
221 Stefanie Michl (Aut) 75 71 75, Lotta Wahlin (Swe) 71 75 75, Tamara Beckett (Aus) 72 74 75, Susie Mathews (Aus) 72 71 78
224 Wendy Berger (Aus) 71 75 78