AI MIYAZATO HEADING FOR A REPEAT EVIAN MASTERS WIN

By BETHAN CUTLER
Ladies European Tour Media Manager
Two years after winning the Evian Masters presented by Société Générale, Japan’s Ai Miyazato is on the verge of repeat glory after a stunning 67 gave her a two-stroke lead heading into the final round in France.
Miyazato was bogey-free, posting five birdies on a day of sunshine at the Evian Masters Golf Club.
She ended at 13 under, two clear of halfway leader Miki Saiki from Japan, Americans Stacy Lewis and Angela Stanford and South Korean Ran Hong.
The 26-year-old world number 10 from Okinawa admitted that she felt totally at ease on the golf course: “I love this tournament. Since couple years ago I have such a great feeling, you know, at the other tournaments, too. So I have a great memory from my first win. Hopefully I can get the trophy tomorrow.”
Whereas Miyazato is winless so far in 2011, having focused her efforts on fund-raising for victims of the Japanese earthquake, Lewis already has one victory under her belt and the 26-year-old is hoping that the experience of winning a major will help her to become the fourth American winner of the event, following Juli Inkster (2003), Paula Creamer (2005) and Natalie Gulbis (2007).
Lewis said: “I'm a little bit frustrated with the way I played today. The day for me was kind of frustrating. I hit a ton of good golf shots and just had, I mean, probably four or five putts lipped out.”
She expected some low scoring on Sunday. “The course is so soft and so score-able you know somebody's going to shoot five or six under. You just hope that it's you,” she added.
The lowest score of the week so far came from South Korea’s I.K. Kim, who shot 64 with nine birdies. The 2009 Dubai Ladies Masters champion finished at 10 under par alongside Swede Maria Hjorth (70).
Japan’s Mika Miyazato, American Cristie Kerr and South Korean Shin-Ae Ahn remained in the hunt at nine under par, while Henderson Rookie Caroline Hedwall continued to shine on her tournament debut, posting a 69 to sit at eight under alongside the 2010 champion Jiyai Shin.
The 22-year-old Swede, who leads the LET’S Rolex Rookie of the Year standings after two victories in Slovakia and Holland, said: “I played pretty solid today. I think I had a bit of bad luck on the back nine, but I had two birdies coming in. It’s a good position coming into the final day. I will keep doing what I’ve been doing this week.”
Her favourite golfer, the world number three Suzann Pettersen, shot 69 and was in a group at seven under par with Pat Hurst, Morgan Pressel, Ayako Uehara and Paula Creamer. The 30-year-old Norwegian found out about the bombing and shootings in her home country on Friday when her father told her after her second round. She wore a black arm band whilst playing to show her sympathy for the victims of the tragedy and said: “Golf kind of means nothing when your fellow Norwegians are going through what they were today. My thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of those affected. All I can say it to send my love and all my thoughts to everyone back home.”
THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
203 - Ai Miyazato (JPN) 68 68 67 205 - Ran Hong (SKOR) 69 69 67, Stacy Lewis (USA) 69 67 69, Miki Saiki (JPN) 68 67 70, Angela Stanford (USA) 70 66 69
206 - In Kyung Kim (SKOR) 74 68 64, Maria Hjorth (SWE) 67 69 70
207 - Mika Miyazato (JPN) 71 68 68, Cristie Kerr (USA) 68 69 70, Shin Ae Ahn (SKOR) 67 69 71
208 - Caroline Hedwall (SWE) 73 66 69, Jiyai Shin (SKOR) 69 69 70
209 - Pat Hurst (USA) 70 70 69, Morgan Pressel (USA) 71 69 69, Ayako Uehara (JPN) 70 70 69, Suzann Pettersen (NOR) 73 67 69, Paula Creamer (USA) 70 67 72
210 - Yani Tseng (TPE) 69 73 68, Yuri Fudoh (JPN) 71 69 70, Karen Stupples (ENG) 67 70 73
211 - Akane Iijima (JPN) 72 69 70, Sophie Gustafson (SWE) 71 70 70, Na Yeon Choi (SKOR) 72 68 71, Brittany Lincicome (USA) 68 71 72, In-Bee Park (SKOR) 69 70 72
212 - Ji-Woo Lee (KOR) 70 73 69, Hee Young Park (SKOR) 71 72 69, Shanshan Feng (CHN) 68 72 72, Catriona Matthew (SCO) 71 68 73
213 - Paige Mackenzie (USA) 71 72 70, Eun Hee Ji (SKOR) 69 73 71, Song-Hee Kim (SKOR) 71 71 71, So-Yeon Ryu (SKOR) 72 69 72, Amy Yang (SKOR) 73 67 73, Stacy Prammanasudh (USA) 71 68 74
214 - Anna Nordqvist (SWE) 77 68 69, Hyun-Ji Kim (KOR) 72 70 72, Sun Young Yoo (SKOR) 73 68 73, Virginie Lagoutte-Clement (FRA) 69 71 74, Se Ri Pak (SKOR) 71 69 74
215 - Mayu Hattori (JPN) 72 73 70, Christina Kim (USA) 75 69 71, Natalie Gulbis (USA) 70 73 72, Karrie Webb (AUS) 71 72 72, Ji-Na Lim (SKOR) 73 70 72, Melissa Reid (ENG) 72 70 73, Rikako Morita (JPN) 71 70 74
216 - Trish Johnson (ENG) 75 70 71, Meena Lee (SKOR) 71 73 72, Lindsey Wright (AUS) 73 71 72, Wendy Ward (USA) 74 70 72, Gwladys Nocera (FRA) 76 68 72, Heather Bowie Young (USA) 72 69 75, Cindy LaCrosse (USA) 72 69 75
217 - Chella Choi (SKOR) 73 71 73, Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) 72 71 74, Candie Kung (TAI) 74 69 74, Shiho Oyama (JPN) 71 70 76, Jimin Kang (SKOR) 72 69 76
218 - Haru Nomura (JPN) 75 69 74, Seul-A Yoon (SKOR) 75 69 74, Alexis Thompson (USA) 70 73 75, Azahara Munoz Guijarro (ESP) 72 70 76
219 - Brittany Lang (USA) 75 70 74, Julieta Granada (PAR) 72 72 75, Ryann O'Toole (USA) 71 70 78
220 - Iben Tinning (DEN) 72 73 75, Sandra Gal (GER) 70 74 76
221 - Hye-Youn Kim (SKOR) 72 73 76
222 - Ritsuka Ryu (JPN) 68 77 77