Australian Women's Open at Melbourne

Karrie Webb leads by one with a round to go

FROM THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR WEBSITE
Karrie Webb is poised to capture her fifth Australian Open title after a business like 3 under 70 at Melbourne’s Commonwealth Course today.
Last week’s ANZ Ladies Masters winner will go into tomorrow’s final round on 6 under 213, one shot ahead of overnight leader Italian Giulia Sergas, while defending champion Laura Davies, looms at two shots back on 4 under.
The 35-year-old Webb rarely missed a green in regulation today and has recorded just one bogey in her last 36 holes. This week is her fourth tournament in a row and the LPGA Hall of Famer was in a state of disbelief at how well she is still swinging it.
“I am surprised because this is the first time in many years that I have played four tournaments in a row,” she said.
“I have a bit left in me and let’s see if it is good enough for tomorrow.”
If Webb does win tomorrow it will be third time she has captured the Ladies Masters/Open double but that will not be uppermost in her mind tomorrow.
“I have to actually win tomorrow before I do that,” she said. “I still have a good 18 holes left.”
Italian Giulia Sergas
Playing in the final group on a Sunday is a new experience for 30-year-old Sergas. After eight years on tour she remains winless. Yesterday she revealed how she talks to the course throughout her round. While it worked yesterday in her round of four under 69, today there were a few crossed wires out there.
“I tried but I wasn’t hitting it where it was pointing at,” she laughed.
“It was like ‘I told you here, what are you doing?’ so I had to kind of take different ways today.”
There were only five back stretching handstands for her bad back on the course today, but Sergas has promised the crowd a victory handstand on 18 should she win her first professional tournament tomorrow.
A Laura Davies handstand would also be fun to watch but the Brit will probably celebrate in a different manner tomorrow should she go back to back.
In order to win her second tournament from four starts Down Under, Davies said she would have to be a lot straighter than she was today.
Still, there is nothing better than a Davies miracle shot, and she thrilled the crowd today with her stunning 221m two iron on the par 5 13th from behind the trees.
“That was a ten, definitely,” she said.
“We were trying to get in the front bunker, we didn’t think it would get on the green, then I almost got my eagle putt.”
Davies said Webb was definitely the threat tomorrow.
“Nothing against Giulia but Webby has won what, five (sic) Opens already and seven Masters, she likes this little time of the year in March doesn’t she?”
Also not out of the race tomorrow is Katherine Hull who is on 3 under 216, one shot ahead of World No 6 Yani Tseng and 17-year-old South Korean, Soo-Jin Yang on 2 under 217.
England’s Melissa Reid said even though she is five shots back on 1 under 218, she could still claim the Patricia Bridges Bowl.
“I still fancy my chances of winning,” she said.
“I just said to Mardy my caddy, if we get a few going on the front nine there is no reason we can’t shoot a low one tomorrow.”
THIRD-ROUND SCOREBOARD
Par 219 (3x73)
213 Karrie Webb (Australia) 73 70 70.
214 Giulia Sergas (Italy) 70 69 75.
215 Laura Davies (England) 68 76 71.
216 Katherine Hull (Australia) 72 72 72.
217 Yani Tseng (Taiwan 74 71 72, Soo-Jin Yang (South Korea) 70 72 75
218 Melissa Reid (ENG) England 72 76 70, Azahara Munoz (Spain) 76 72 70, Stacy Lewis (US) 75 71 72, Anna Nordqvist (Sweden) 75 70 73.
219 Par Hyun-Soo Kim (South Korea) (amateur) 78 69 72, Lindsey Wright (Australia) 71 74 74.
220 Hee-Kyung Seo (South Korea) 72 78 70, Stefanie Michl (Austria) 71 72 77, He-Yong Choi (South Korea) 73 69 78.
221 Jeong Jang (South Korea) 76 73 72, Stephanie Na (Australia) 76 73 72, Elizabeth Bennett (England) 73 75 73, Alexis Thompson (US) (amateur) 71 75 75, Rebecca Flood (Australia) 70 73 78.
222 Anna Oh (South Korea) 78 72 72, Rachel Bailey (Australia) 73 77 72,Vicky Hurst (US) 72 76 74, Christel Boeljon (Netherlands) 72 75 75, Alison Whitaker (Australia) (amateur) 70 74 78.
223 Sarah-Jane Smith (Australia) 77 71 75, Shin-Ae Ahn (South Korea) 78 70 75, Lorie Kane (Canada) 73 75 75, Karine Icher (France) 72 75 76, Felicity Johnson (England) 70 75 78.
224 Titiya Plucksataporn (Thailand) 78 73 73, Su Hyun Oh (South Korea) (amateur) 79 72 73, Bo-Mee Lee (South Korea) 77 73 74, Louise Stahle (Sweden) 75 74 75, Michelle Ellis (Australia) 75 73 76, Ha-Neul Kim (South Korea) 73 75 76, Mina Harigae (US) 74 74 76.
225 Tania Elosegui (Spain) 77 75 73, Bree Turnbull (Australia)74 78 73,Iben Tinning (Denmark) 77 74 74, Diana D'Alessio (US) 77 74 74, Janice Moodie (Scotland) 76 75 74, Kristie Smith (Australia) 72 78 75, Kym Larratt (England) 73 76 76, Becky Brewerton (Wales) 77 70 78.
226 Caroline Afonso (France) 78 73 75, Sandra Gal (Germany) 77 74 75, Riikka Hakkarainen (Finland) 72 78 76, Tamie Durdin (Australia) 76 74 76, You-Na Park (South Korea) 75 74 77, Stacey Keating (Australia) (amateur) 76 72 78, Frances Bondad (Australia) 74 73 79, Jenni Kuosa (Finland) 70 76 80.
227 Christina Kim (US) 78 74 75, Sarah Nicholson (New Zealand) 76 76 75, Bree Arthur (Australia) 76 76 75, Ran Hong (South Korea) 77 74 76, Rebecca Hudson (England) 74 77 76,
Emma Bennett (Australia) 78 72 77, Marjet van der Graaff (Netherlands) 73 75 79, Sophie Gustafson (Sweden) 75 73 79, Marianne Skarpnord (Norway) 75 72 80.
228 Sophie Walker (England) 76 75 77, Tamara Beckett (Australia) 74 76 78, Bettina Hauert (Germany) 77 72 79, Sarah Oh (Australia) 72 77 79.
229 Leanne Bowditch (Australia) 78 73 78, Nina Reis (Sweden) 74 76 79.
230 Veronica Zorzi (Italy) 79 73 78, Wendy Doolan (Australia) 79 72 79, Krystle Caithness (Scotland) 74 77 79.
231 Lynn Kenny (Scotland) 74 78 79.
232 Cathryn Bristow (New Zealand) 75 77 80.
+Official scores from the Ladies European Tour website.