Good day for Scots in Swiss Ladies Open

as Skarpnord leads from Reid

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Norwegian Marianne Skarpnord shot a seven-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open.
The 23-year-old British girls champion of 2003 started the day in a tie for fourth on six-under, three shots off the lead, after opening with rounds of 69 and 71 at Golf Gerre Losone in Ticino.
A birdie-birdie-eagle start in fine weather made the Norwegian the outright leader before a further birdie at the sixth took her two shots clear.
After scoring 31 on the front nine, she added birdies at holes 16 and 18 for an inward total of 35 and was at 13-under 206 for the tournament.
“I’ve been off to a slow start the past two days. There are two par fives at the start and the par three and I thought it would be nice to get a good start for once. I was four under after three,” said Skarpnord, who is seeking her first victory on the Ladies European Tour.
Skarpnord added that she was looking forward to the final round after finishing second to Suzann Pettersen at the AIB Ladies Irish Open last year.
“I’ve been up there before. Tomorrow I just have to go out there and do the same things I’ve done for three days: be patient and just trust myself.”
England’s Melissa Reid shot 68 and sits just one shot back on 12-under. The 21-year-old, who is also seeking her first victory after three runner-up finishes last season and third place at the Women's Australian Open in February, posted three birdies and an eagle at the 447-yard par-five 18th hole.
She explained: “I hit a great drive off 18 and then we had I think 212 to the pin but it was howling into wind. I just said, you know, “What’s the carry to get over the water”, to (my caddie) Paul. He said “You’ll be fine; rip it through and you’ll get there.” I hit probably one of the best three-woods I’ve ever hit and just ended up perfect.
“I started off really bad actually. I couldn’t get anything going. The first two par fives you should really do something and then, knocked it in close on the sixth. I had like a six foot eagle putt and three whacked it. I was pretty mad with myself but managed to birdie the next. I bounced back from it but I stayed very, very patient today.
“I hit a really good tee shot off nine. It was probably one of the best tee shots I’ve hit all day. You just get a feeling with the swing and then I started to hit it well after that really. I made a good birdie on nine and gave myself chances from then in.
“I think if anything it holds me back because I’m so desperate to win. I mean, even this morning, I was so excited about playing. I want to play the best golf I can.”
Australian Karen Lunn, the 1993 Women’s British Open champion, remained in the hunt in third place after a 69 which took her to 10-under-par. Sweden’s Emma Zackrisson (70), Norway’s Lill Kristin Saether (70) and Nicole Gergely (72) share fourth on eight-under with Denmark’s Lisa Holm Sorensen (68), England’s Georgina Simpson (71) and Finland’s Jenni Kuosa (75) on seven-under-par.
The three Scots qualifiers for the weekend action have had a good day.
Krystle Caithness from Fife had a third round 69 to add to her first and second efforts of 71 and 75 over the par-73 course to be in the clubhouse after 54 holes at four-under-par 215 and in joint 17th position ... a great start to her LET career.
Pamela Feggans from Patna Ayrshire had a 70 today after a 76 and 72. She is at one-under-par 218 and sharing 36th place.
The third Scottish rookie to beat the cut, Michele Thomson from McDonald Ellon, matched the par of 73 for the third day in a row to be on 219 and in a tie for 42nd place.
HOW THEY STAND AFTER THREE ROUNDS
Par 219 (3x73)
206 M Skarpnord (Nor) 69 71 66.
207 M Reid (Eng) 71 68 68.
209 K Lunn (Aus 73 67 69.
211 E Zackrisson (Swe) 67 74 70, L K Saether (Nor) 69 72 70, N Gergely (Aut) 70 69 72.
212 L H Sorensen (Den) 68 76 68, G Simpson (Eng) 69 72 71, J Kuosa (Fin) 67 70 75.
213 U Wikstrom (Fin) 69 74 70, Lisa Hall (Eng) 68 73 72.
214 A-L Caudal (Fra) 70 73 71, S Walker (Eng) 70 73 71, A Nordqvist (Swe) 71 72 71, G Nocera (Fra) 72 70 72, F Johnson (Eng) 70 71 73.
Selected scores:
215 K Caithness (Sco) 71 75 69, T Delaney (Ire) 69 73 73 (jt 17th).
216 H Kavanagh (Ire) 74 71 71 (jt 22nd).
217 R Coakley (Ire) 72 72 73 (jt 28th).
218 P Feggans (Sco) 76 72 70, B Loucks (Wal) 73 75 70, S Head (Eng) 69 74 75 (jt 36th).
219 M Thomson (Sco) 73 73 73, Lydia Hall (Wal) 73 74 72 (jt 42nd).
220 L Fairclough (Eng) 77 69 74 (jt 46th).
221 M Gillen (Ire) 72 74 75 (jt 51st).
223 E Lyons (Eng) 72 75 76 (jt 60th).
224 R Hudson (Eng) 73 72 79, K S Taylor (Eng) 71 74 79 (jt 65th).