LUNA AND MICHL SHARED LACOSTE LADIES OPEN LEAD IN PARIS

           DIANA LUNA GIVES IT HER ALL ... Image by Tristan Jones (LET Photographer)

NEWS RELEASE ISSUED BY THE LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR
By BETHAN CUTLER, LET Media Manager
Paris, France: Diana Luna and Stefanie Michl carded rounds of 67 and 69 respectively to share the third-round lead at the Lacoste Ladies Open de France.
Luna hit all 18 greens in regulation at Paris International on her way to the top of the leader board at 12 under par, while Michl struggled with her long game but showed a deft touch on the greens.
The duo finished the penultimate day a stroke ahead of Finland’s Kaisa Ruuttila, with Frenchwoman Cassandra Kirkland a shot back at 10 under par. On a day of high drama and temperatures, Luna was forced to play the last six holes alone after Virginie Lagoutte-Clement, the home nation’s leading player at the halfway stage, retired with a shoulder injury after 12 holes.
The Frenchwoman was involved in a minor car accident after her second round and suffered whiplash like symptoms that prohibited her from swinging the club.
Luna excelled from that point, with three birdies in a row from the 13th. She then three-putted the 17th but immediately recovered, holing a clutch birdie putt of around 10 feet on the 18th green.
“I’m very, very pleased, of course, especially with the way I managed,” said Luna, who was edged by Trish Johnson in a play-off last year. “Mentally it is hard because you always wait.
“I just took my time and tried to walk very slowly and to cope with this. You have to and you have no choice. I played a very solid round and hit 18 greens.”
While Luna has five victories on the Ladies European Tour, including two this year in Germany and Switzerland, Michl will be looking for her maiden win after a career best finish of second at the Sanya Ladies Open in China last year.
Despite battling with her swing, she hopes to become the second Austrian winner of the title following Nicole Gergely at Arras in 2009.
“It was a struggle today so I’m quite happy I got it around the way I did and I’m pretty exhausted now,” Michl said. “I wasn’t hitting it good at all, all day but I kept it together and putted really good so I kept the score down.”
Ruuttila will also be targeting her maiden win on the LET. She led by a stroke going into the final round of the UNIQA Ladies Open in Austria a month ago but finished with a 76 to slip back into a tie for third, which was her career best result.
“I was playing well on the front nine and then I made a double on the 10th so that was a little bit sad. I made two birdies on the back nine, so I’m happy,” said Ruuttila, who eagled the eighth hole.
“Now it’s not such a new situation but I’m not used to it. I will just try to do my best tomorrow and enjoy it. I think it’s nice to play in this kind of weather when everything is perfect.”
Other players in contention include Italian Giulia Sergas and England’s Felicity Johnson on nine under, with French amateur Perrine Delacour, winner of the British girls' open amateur title a couple years ago, Florentyna Parker, Becky Morgan and Minea Blomqvist a stroke further back.
Sunday’s Solheim Cup heroines Laura Davies and Caroline Hedwall were at seven and two under respectively, but Hedwall admitted that she was suffering from a cold.

Lacoste Ladies Open de France
Paris International Golf Club
THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)
204 - Diana Luna (ITA) 69 68 67 , Stefanie Michl (AUT) 68 67 69
205 - Kaisa Ruuttila (FIN) 65 72 68
206 - Cassandra Kirkland (FRA) 64 74 68
207 - Giulia Sergas (ITA) 70 68 69 , Felicity Johnson (ENG) 68 70 69
208 - Perrine Delacour (Am) (FRA) 71 70 67 , Florentyna Parker (ENG) 71 69 68 , Becky Morgan (WAL) 72 66 70 , Minea Blomqvist (FIN) 68 69 71
209 - Lucie Andre (FRA) 69 73 67 , Nikki Garrett (AUS) 70 71 68 , Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) 66 73 70 , Laura Davies (ENG) 69 70 70
210 - Pernilla Lindberg (SWE) 71 71 68 , Kym Larratt (ENG) 69 72 69 , Marion Ricordeau (FRA) 70 70 70 , Stacey Keating (AUS) 67 72 71 , Sophie Giquel-Bettan (FRA) 72 67 71
211 - Kiran Matharu (ENG) 71 71 69 , Stefania Croce (ITA) 73 68 70 , Ursula Wikstrom (FIN) 70 66 75
212 - Julie Tvede (DEN) 71 72 69 , Carmen Alonso (ESP) 70 73 69 , Alison Walshe (USA) 73 70 69 , Lee-Anne Pace (SA) 69 71 72 , Belen Mozo (ESP) 70 69 73
213 - Connie Chen (SA) 71 73 69 , Caroline Rominger (SWI) 69 74 70 , Caroline Afonso (FRA) 70 72 71
214 - Jade Schaeffer (FRA) 70 73 71 , Gwladys Nocera (FRA) 71 70 73 , Sophie Sandolo (ITA) 71 70 73 , Caroline Hedwall (SWE) 69 71 74 , Vikki Laing (SCO) 70 70 74 , Melodie Bourdy (FRA) 71 69 74 , Becky Brewerton (WAL) 70 69 75
215 - Rachel Jennings (ENG) 75 70 70 , Karen Lunn (AUS) 72 73 70 , Marjet van der Graaff (NL) 73 71 71 , Louise Stahle (SWE) 72 72 71 , Line Vedel (DEN) 71 72 72 , Rachel Bell (ENG) 71 71 73 , Trish Johnson (ENG) 68 74 73 , Stacy Lee Bregman (SA) 72 70 73 , Tania Elosegui (ESP) 67 72 76
216 - Bree Arthur (AUS) 74 70 72 , Veronica Zorzi (ITA) 73 70 73 , Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) 74 69 73 , Elizabeth Bennett (ENG) 72 71 73 , Celine Boutier (Am) (FRA) 69 74 73 , Julie Maisongrosse (FRA) 70 72 74
217 - Henrietta Zuel (ENG) 74 71 72 , Kyra van Leeuwen (NL) 68 75 74 , Sophie Walker (ENG) 67 75 75 , Linda Wessberg (SWE) 72 69 76
218 - Jenni Kuosa (FIN) 72 73 73 , Liebelei Elena Lawrence (LU) 69 73 76
219 - Margherita Rigon (ITA) 74 71 74 , Malene Jorgensen (DEN) 75 69 75 , Kim Welch (USA) 72 72 75
220 - Camille Fallay (FRA) 74 71 75 , Nicole Gergely (AUT) 72 73 75 , Lydia Hall (WAL) 76 68 76 , Marina Arruti (ESP) 72 72 76 , Tandi Cuningham (SA) 70 73 77
Retired - Virginie Lagoutte-Clement (FRA) 65 72 RTD



Ends



A gratis photo of Diana Luna is attached for use with this release. Credit: Tristan Jones.



Bethan Cutler