STACY LEWIS LEADS BY TWO AFTER THREE ROUNDS IN DUBAI

                   STACY LEWIS driving at the ninth in Dubai today. Image by courtesy 
                                         of Ladies European Tour

NEWS RELEASE FROM LADIES EUROPEAN TOUR

Report by Bethan Cutler, LET Media Manager

World No. 3 Stacy Lewis from the USA fired a third-round two-under-par 70 on the Majlis Course at Emirates Golf Club on Friday to take a two-stroke lead into the final round of the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters.

Starting the day one in front, Lewis made three birdies and one bogey in her round to take a two-shot lead over Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum who carded a 69 with Italy’s Diana Luna, Vikki Laing (pictured by Cal Carson Golf Agency) of Scotland and Spain’s Carlota Ciganda moving into a tie for third on six-under 210.

Snapping on the heels of the leaders were the Swedish duo of Louise Larsson and Pernilla Lindberg were one shot further adrift after carding 68 and 75 respectively, raising the prospects of a close finish on Saturday.

Defending champion Shanshan Feng, who opened with a 76, followed her second-round 67 with a 71, quietly moving up the leaderboard and is now at two-under, two behind England’s great Laura Davies, who made a 71.

“It's always hard to follow up a day like I had yesterday, especially on the greens.  It was the kind of day that could have been worse and it could have been better.  But, you know, overall, I'm right where I need to be going into tomorrow,” said Lewis, the two-time major winner, who is playing her first event in Dubai.

“I just didn't hit it quite as close; didn't have as many good opportunities at birdie.  But still hit a ton of greens and if I can just get a couple more putts to fall early tomorrow, then I think I'll be in a good place.”

 Phatlum felt relaxed as she fired a 69 and said that she was aiming to play with Lewis in the last group. Although Laing and Luna both had matching 69s, Ciganda admitted to struggling on the greens.

“I don't think I played that bad.  I just missed a few putts.  I hit 35 putts.  It was tough, a few 3‑putts out there.  And then 1‑over on the par 5s, and I was on each of them in two on the greens.  There is one more day tomorrow, I will try my best,” Ciganda said.

Laing, who is yet to win on the LET although she has a victory on the United States Futures Tour (as it was then) to her credit, chipped in for eagle on the third hole which set her up for another solid round.  
The Musselburgh player said: “I'm happy with the way it went today.  I had a few chances out there for birdie, hit a lot of fairways, hit a lot of greens.  Just tried to stay patient and made some putts and made a nice eagle, too, which was nice, chipped in.  So that always helps.

“I'd have bitten your hand off if you had offered me this at the beginning of the week.  I'm delighted to be here and playing well and looking forward to tomorrow.”

Luna, who hasn’t played in a tournament for two months, showed why she is always a class act and said: “I'm very confident.  I'm playing very well.  I made a few mistakes but always well recovered.  So I think I'm going to have a good fun tomorrow.”

South Africa’s Connie Chen produced the shot of the day when she aced the 160-yard par-3, 15^th, using a six iron, a perfect tee shot which won her gleaming Mercedes Benz E-400 Convertible worth US$70,000, almost on a par with the tournament’s second place prize money of 50,750 euro.

Final round play starts at 7:35am local time  on Saturday and the leading trio of Luna, Phatlum and Lewis tee off at 11:20.

THIRD ROUND TOTALS
Par 216 (3x72)

205 Stacy Lewis (USA)  70 65 70
207 Pornanong Phatlum (THA)  68 70 69
210 Diana Luna (ITA)  73 68 69, Carlota Ciganda (ESP)  67 70 73, Vikki Laing (SCO)  71 70 69
211 Pernilla Lindberg (SWE)  67 69 75, Louise Larsson (SWE)  72 71 68

212 Laura Davies (ENG)  70 71 71

214 Shanshan Feng (CHN)  76 67 71, Sarah Kemp (AUS)  70 72 72

215 Jing Yan (CHN)  75 72 68, Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA)  72 73 70, Maria Hjorth (SWE)  72 71 72, Charley Hull (ENG)  70 72 73, Gwladys Nocera (FRA)  71 73 71

216 Maria Balikoeva (RUS)  70 76 70, Nontaya Srisawang (THA)  73 72 71, Mikaela Parmlid (SWE)  72 76 68, Cindy Lacrosse (USA)  73 70 73, Sophie Gustafson (SWE)  73 72 71

217 Holly Clyburn (ENG)  75 72 70, Thidapa Suwannapura (THA)  71 74 72, Malene Jorgensen (DEN)  73 73 71

218 Titiya Plucksataporn (THA)  73 74 71, Valentine Derrey (FRA)  70 72 76

219 Veronica Zorzi (ITA)  75 73 71, Nikki Campbell (AUS)  74 73 72, Caroline Masson (GER)  69 72 78, Mireia Prat (ESP)  67 76 76, Sahra Hassan (WAL)  74 69 76, Connie Chen (RSA)  74 75 70, Beth Allen (USA)  71 72 76, Nikki Garrett (AUS)  78 70 71, Camilla Lennarth (SWE)  73 74 72

220 Marion Ricordeau (FRA)  74 72 74, Linda Wessberg (SWE)  72 73 75, Klara Spilkova (CZE)  74 73 73, Liz Young (ENG)  72 75 73

221 Margherita Rigon (ITA)  73 76 72, Noora Tamminen (FIN)  71 74 76, Sophie Giquel-bettan (FRA)  71 76 74, Stacy Lee Bregman (RSA)  74 73 74, Patcharajutar Kongkraphan (THA)  70 78 73

222 Becky Morgan (WAL)  74 73 75, Ursula Wikstrom (FIN)  73 73 76, Pamela Pretswell (SCO)  71 75 76, Bonita Bredenhann (NAM)  71 74 77

223 Caroline Afonso (FRA)  71 75 77, Lucie Andre (FRA)  76 72 75

224 Miriam Nagl (GER)  76 74 74, Katie Burnett (USA)  73 74 77, Celine Herbin (FRA)  75 74 75, Alison Whitaker (AUS)  75 74 75, Kylie Walker (SCO)  75 75 74, Marianne Skarpnord (NOR)  75 75 74, Minea Blomqvist (FIN)  73 76 75, Henni Zuel (ENG)  73 77 74

225 - Jade Schaeffer (FRA)  80 69 76, Emily Taylor (ENG)  74 76 75, Trish Johnson (ENG)  73 77 75

226 Julia Davidsson (SWE)  74 73 79

227 Sophie Walker (ENG)  74 75 78, Cassandra Kirkland (FRA)  73 76 78

228 Maria Salinas (PER)  76 74 78