Two Scots in the top 12: Vikki Laing (left) on the first tee and (right) Lynn Kenny holes a putt on her way to a repeat 68. 

Trish Johnson leads by three strokes in Tenerife Open

NEWS RELEASE FROM LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR

England’s Trish Johnson stormed three shots clear of Frenchwoman Virginie Lagoutte-Clement after the third round of the Tenerife Ladies Open today. Johnson carded one bogey and seven birdies, with five on the back nine, in tough conditions for a phenomenal score of six under par 66 at Buenavista Golf.

The 18-time winner of the Ladies European Tour, pictured right, is at 12-under-par 204 for the tournament, while Lagoutte-Clement shot 70 to finish the day at 207.

Overnight leader Melissa Reid shot 72 to remain at eight under par, with Frenchwoman Anne-Lise Caudal a shot back after a round of 70.

Johnson, who finished joint second at last week’s Portugal Ladies Open, continued her impressive form in windy conditions.

“It was a difficult day. It was probably blowier today than the first two days, which is saying something,” said the 44-year-old Johnson, who learned her game on Royal North Devon’s exposed links at Westward Ho. “Obviously I swung very well, putted very well; did everything pretty well. I made a couple of mistakes early on and hit the wrong club possibly on the third, into the bunker and made bogey but I hit a good shot. I went to the bathroom and sat down and said, ‘You know, this is silly. You’ve hit good shots and you’re playing well so don’t get too up tight.’ I said to myself ‘You’re putting well and playing well’ and sure enough, I started to relax a bit.”

The eight-time Solheim Cup player claimed her last Ladies European Tour victory at the 2007 BMW Ladies Italian Open and she said: “Obviously I’d love to win, the same as everybody else this week. I just think that’s a process and for the last few years I’ve thought about winning way too much and actually, that’s something I can’t do anything about.
“If I play as well as that tomorrow then I’ve got every chance. Winning is a by-product of playing great golf and it’s so much fun when you’re hitting great shots: there’s nothing better.”
Lagoutte-Clement, 31, matched four bogeys with four birdies adding an eagle at the par-five 13th hole. Her score could have been better, had she capitalised on her numerous birdie chances. She nearly holed in one at the fourth, only to miss the birdie putt from inches, before missing another birdie chance from three feet at the next.
Reid started well with a birdie at the first hole but double-bogeyed the sixth and dropped another shot at the seventh. She recovered with birdies at the eighth and the ninth and was level on the back nine.
England’s Kiran Matharu, who lost her full Ladies European Tour card this season, shot an impressive round of 66 and finished in a tie for fifth place at six under par with four others: Italian Veronica Zorzi (68), Germany’s Anja Monke (71), Christel Boeljon of the Netherlands (71) and Scotland’s Vikki Laing (73).

THIRD-ROUND LEADERS
Par 216 (3x72)
1. Trish Johnson (ENG) 67 71 66 = 204
2. Virginie Lagoutte-C. (FRA) 67 70 70 = 207
3. Melissa Reid (ENG) 66 70 72 = 208
4. Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) 68 71 70 = 209
T5 Kiran Matharu (ENG) 73 71 66 = 210
T5 Veronica Zorzi (ITA) 69 68 68 = 210
T5 Christel Boeljon (NL) 67 72 71 = 210
T5 Anja Monke (GER) 70 69 71 = 210
T5 Vikky Laing (SCO) 69 68 73 = 210
10. Jade Schaeffer (FRA) 73 68 70 = 211
T12 Lynn Kenny (SCO) 77 68 68 = 213
T12 BROOKY, Lynette 73 75 70 68 = 213 
T12 PACE, Lee-Anne 72 72 69 = 213
T15 CROCE, Stefania  74 74 66 = 214
T15 WESSBERG, Linda  73 69 72 = 214
T15 MARITZ, Laurette 68 74 72 = 214
T15 JORGENSEN, Malene  70 71 73 = 214
T15 CUNINGHAM, Tandi  72 73 69 = 214
T15 AITCHISON, Holly  74 69 71 = 214
T15 REIS, Nina 71 71 = 214
T15 PARKER, Florentyna  71 74 69 = 214
T23 JOHNSON, Felicity 71 71 = 215
T23 KIRKLAND, Cassandra 70 71 74 = 215
T23 TVEDE, Julie 71 75 69 = 215
T23 CABANILLAS, Laura  75 70 70 = 215
27 HUDSON, Rebecca  72 72 72 = 216
T28 WELCH, Kim 72 76 69 = 217
T28 AFONSO, Caroline 72 74 71 = 217
T28 WIKSTROM, Ursula  66 80 71 = 217
T28 BONDAD, Frances  71 72 74 = 217
T28 NA, Stephanie  77 67 73 = 217
T28 KUOSA, Jenni Lilian  74 69 74 = 217
T28 GIQUEL, Sophie  72 71 74 = 217
T28 JUUL, Karen-Margrethe 75 70 72 = 217
T28 HAUERT, Bettina 73 72 72 = 217
T28 ROMINGER, Caroline 71 73 73  = 217
T38 PIOVANO, Federica 69 77 72 = 218
T38 LEE, Jeehae 69 73 76 = 218
T38 GARRETT, Nikki 73 74 71 = 218
T38 SANDOLO, Sophie 73 74 71 = 218
T42 BODEN, Maria 74 72 73 = 219
T42 MAISONGROSSE, Julie  72 74 73 = 219
T44 FLOOD, Rebecca 72 72 76 = 220
T44 MEHRA, Smriti 71 72 77 = 220
T44 BAGGER, Mianne 77 70 73 = 220
T44 MASTERS, Danielle 73 74 73 = 220
T44 COMBES, Kate 69 77 74 = 220
T44 ALONSO Carmen 73 75 72 = 220
T44 RIGON ,Margherita 74 73 73 = 220
T51 LEE, Corisande 71 74 76 = 221
T51 MACIAS, Mariana 74 71 76 = 221
T51 VERCHENOVA, Mar  73 72 76 = 221
T51 HALL ,Lydia 71 72 78 = 221
T51 BEAUTELL, Maria  74 73 74 = 221
T51 LUNDGREEN, Cecilie 70 76 75 = 221
T51 LEIJON, Josefin 68 74 79 = 221
58 PRITCHARD, Jo  73 71 78 = 222
59 ZUEL, Henrietta  78 70 75 = 223
60 BREGMAN, Stacy Lee  71 75 78 = 224
61 PLUCKSATAPORN, Titya  71 74 80 = 225
62 LIND, Emelie 70 76 82 = 228
63 FISHER, Kirsty J 75 73 81 = 229

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