LEONA MAGUJIRE BLOWS THE FIELD AWAY WITH ROUND-3 69

       LEONA MAGUIRE came to the front over first nine holes of third round (Image by Cal Carson Golf Agency)

COLIN FARQUHARSON REPORTING FROM ROYAL ASHDOWN FOREST

Two shots off the pace overnight in joint third place, Leona Maguire ended the morning third round an astonishing five strokes clear of the field in the Ladies British open amateur stroke-play championship at sunny Royal Ashdown Forest Golf Club, East Sussex.
Prospects of a tight finish with a play-off a distinct possibility were blown sky high by the 16-year-old Slieve Russell player's  brilliant third round of three-under-par 69 for a 54-hole tally of three-over-par 219.
Until her 69, the par of 72 had reigned supreme over a course reckoned by many the toughest they had ever played. First and second-round CSSs of 76 and 77 seemed to back up the general feeling that Royal Ashdown Forest was a Mount Everest among woodland/heathland courses.
Then Leona shows that it's not invincible after all. Her outward half of 34 with birdies at the third and eighth in a bogey-free nine holes lifted the Curtis Cup player past the overnight leaders and into a lead which she expanded on the back nine.
Maguire dropped her only shot at the short 11th - where Paula Carver holed a three-wood tee shot for an ace yesterday - but it was a temporary blip. Leona covered the last seven holes - which have destroyed so many scores this week - in two under par with five pars and birdies 2 and 3 at the short 14th and par-4 18th for 35 home and a great score of 69.
So it looked a one-horse race as the leaders went out for a final circuit. Leona led by five shots from three players on 224: defending champion Pamela Pretswell (72-224), 17-year-old Meghan MacLaren (74-224) and Amy Boulden (75-224) with four more players on 225 - 16-year-old British open amateur champion Lauren Taylor (Woburn), Germany-based Scot Rachael Taylor, Belgium's Laurence Herman and Ellie Robinson (Brass Castle).
Pretswell had an eagle 3 at the fifth and birdies at the long 12th and long 17th in halves of 37-35 - her best of the week so far.
Welsh teenager Amy Boulden from Llandudno, runner-up to Pretswell at Tenby in last year's championship, birdied the eighth but bogeys at the 14th and 18th seemed to have ended her hopes of going one better than in 2010.
Meghan MacLaren, 17-year-old England girls cap from the Wellingborough, hung on in there with birdies at the third and 13th but, like Amy Boulden, let it slip close home with bogeys at the 16th and 18th.
Overnight leader Charlotte Taylor, an 18-year-old Surrey-born player who lives in Singapore where her dad works in advertising, dropped out of the title picture with a 78 in which she took 42 blows to the turn.
Holes five, six and seventh saw her drop five shots to par with a a triple bogey 6 at the short sixth the sandwich between a pair of bogeys.
Charlotte did not lose heart and birdied the 14th and 15th, but also bogeyed the 13th and 16th.


THIRD-ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
219 Leona Maguire (Slieve Russell) 75 75 69
224 Pamela Pretswell (Bothwell Castle) 76 76 72, Meghan MacLaren (Wellingborough) 73 77 74, Amy Boulden (Maesdu) 73 76 75.
225 Lauren Taylor (Woburn) 76 76 73, Ellie Robinson (Brass CFastle) 76 75 74, Rachael Taylor (Am Reichswald) 72 79 74, Laurence Herman (Belgium) 73 78 74.
226 Charlotte Thomas (Singapore) 76 72 78.
227 Charlene Reid (Royal Portrush) 79 76 72.
228 Brogan Townend (Pleasington) 74 78 76, Charlotte Wild (The Mere) 74 76 78
229 Stacey Rodger (West Hove) 76 78 75, Holly Clyburn (Woodhall Spa) 75 78 76, Charley Hull (Woburn) 79 74 76, Shelby Smart (Knowle) 77 75 77
230 Melissa McMahon (Yeovil) 79 78 73, Elizabeth Mallett (Sutton Coldfield) 74 79 77, Joelle Venbaarle (Belgium) 77 73 80.
231 Laura Sedda (Italy) 75 81 75, Daisy Dyer (Chigwell) 74 80 77, Claire Smith (Silsden) 78 76 77, Sara Attwood (Gog Magog) 76 78 77, Hannah McCook (Grantown on Spey) 78 76 77, Rachel Drummond (Beaconsfield) 74 80 77.
233 Nicole Whitmore (Woburn) 77 78 78, Alyson Knowles (Hickleton) 77 77 79, Silvia Banon Ibanez (Spain) 76 74 83.
234 Jess Wilcox (Blankney) 79 77 78, Alyson McKechin (Elderslie) 72 84 7, Emily Taylor (Royal Lytham) 75 81 78, Mandy Goyos (Spain) 76 79 79
235 Sarah Cunningham (Ennis) 75 82 78, Bronte Law (Bramhall) 78 75 82..
236 Kate Whitmore (Tadmarten Heath) 75 82 79.
237 Anais Maggetti (Swi) 80 77 80, Lucy Evans (Wrekin) 75 82 80, Sarah-Jane Boyd (Truro) 76 80 81, Kelly Tidy (RoyalBirkdale) 75 81 82.

Retired: Rachael Goodall (Heswell) 77 79 ret.