SCOT IN TOP TEN AFTER GREAT SCORE IN THAILAND
CATRIONA BACK IN FORM WITH A 65
DESPITE DOUBLE BOGEY 7 AT 18th
Catriona Matthew was back at her brilliant best today in the third round of the Honda LPGA Thailand at the Siam Country Club, Chonburi.
The North Berwick player, who missed the cut in last week's Australian Women's Open, shot a seven-under-par 65 despite a double bogey 7 at the long 18th.
Catriona burned up the course with birdies at the first, third, sixth, eighth (out in 32), 10th, 13th and 14th, followed by an eagle 2 at the 15th ... pity about the last hole!
But the Scot, whose 65 was the round of the day, has leaped up the scoreboard from T33 to T9, seven strokes behind the all-the-way leader Anna Nordqvist (Sweden) who is four shots clear after rounds of 66, 72 and 67 for 11-under 205.
Catriona's earlier rounds over the par-72 lay-out were 76 and 71. Carly Booth has had scores of 72, 74 and 74 for T37 on 220.
Jodi Ewart Shadoff from Yorkshire is on 222 and T44 with scores of 74, 75 and 73.
Nordqvist, chasing her first win since her rookie pro season of 2009, leads by four from defending champion Inbee Park (South Korea) (71-71-67) and Michelle Wie (USA) (67-73-69).
ANNA NORDQVIST LEADS BY FOUR,
CHASING FIRST WIN SINCE 2009
FROM THE LPGA TOUR WEBSITE REPORT
World No. 27 Anna Nordqvist continued her stellar play in Thailand this week and extended her lead to four shots after a third round 5-under 67.
The Swedish player's three-day total of 11-under par 205 puts her on top of a star-studded leaderboard including No. 1 and defending champion Inbee Park and two-time LPGA Tour winner Michelle Wie who are tied for second at 7-under par 209.
Nordqvist started the day with a one-shot lead and got started quickly with a birdie on the par 4 2nd hole. But two missed putts for birdie within three feet each and a bogey on No. 5 knocked the Swede’s momentum before the turn.
Wie, who was playing one group in front of Nordqvist, took the outright lead with her third and final birdie of the day on No. 10.
“I took the lead, I saw that,” said Wie. “But, yeah, I need to make a couple more birdies. There were a couple birdie holes coming in. I didn't really take advantage of the drivable par 4 (15th hole) today. "But birdies are out there. Just got to be consistent, not too aggressive on some holes, and got to make the putts tomorrow.”
Nordqvist turned things around immediately on the back nine and regained the lead with an eagle on the par 5 10th hole. The 26-year old, who has not won since her rookie season of 2009, said she hit the perfect fade with a 3-wood on her second shot and left a six-inch tap in.
“Any time you can tap an eagle you're pretty happy,” said Nordqvist. “I mean, I watched the leaderboard and saw nobody was really running away,” said Nordqvist.
“But I knew there were a couple birdies on the back nine, but the wind picked up a little bit so made it a little bit tougher.”
She extended her lead to two shots with a birdie on No. 12 and to three shots on No. 15. After finishing with a bogey on the final hole in yesterday’s second round, Nordqvist said she wanted to make up for it on Saturday. She sank a five-foot slider to push her lead to four.
“I finished with a bogey yesterday so a little bit of a revenge going into 18 today,” said Nordqvist. “Great shot from 50 yards up to the pin. Felt really good to make it and to leave the 18th green with some good mojo and can't wait for tomorrow.”
World No. 1 Inbee Park put herself in great position to defend her title and to have a chance to win in her first LPGA Tour event of the 2014 season. The reigning Rolex Player of the Year admitted to having some rusty spots in her game over the first two rounds but looked back to form after a 5-under 67 on Saturday.
“I was like four or five back behind the leader (to start), so last couple days been like a little bit of rusty from five week break,” said Park.
“I think just a little bit of everything didn't really work out last two days. I was just trying to work things out and get used to the tournament feeling. That's what I did today.
“I feel like I'm a lot more comfortable and a lot less nervous.”
Six multi-win players are within six shots of the lead: Inbee Park -7 (9 wins), Michelle Wie -7, (2 wins), Yani Tseng -5 (15 wins), Cristie Kerr -5 (16 wins), Lydia Ko -5 (2 wins) and Lexi Thompson -5 (3 wins).
Nordqvist said earlier this week that she was close to quitting the game toward the end of the 2013 season. But she found new motivation in the off-season and with some equipment changes has felt re-energised with her game.
Catriona Matthew made the biggest jump of the day on Saturday with a 7-under 65. The Scot was blemish free through 17 holes and was on pace to tie the tournament record of 63 until a double bogey on the par 5 18th hole. She was nine shots off the lead and jumped from T33 into a tie for ninth.
“I gave myself a lot of chances and just holed them all today,” said Matthew. “Then obviously a disappointing way to finish. I would have taken 65 before I started."
THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 216 (3x72)
205 Anna Nordqvist (Sweden) 66 72 67
209 Inbee Park (S Korea) 71 71 67, Michelle Wie (USA) 67 73 69
210 Julieta Granada (Paraguay) 71 68 71
211 Yani Tseng (Taiwan) 72 73 66, Cristie Kerr (USA) 71 72 68, Lydia Ko (NZ) 72 70 69, Lexi Thompson (USA) 68 74 69
SELECTED SCORES
212 Catriona Matthew (Scotland) 76 71 65, Caroline Hedwall (Sweden) 6 9 73 70, Karrie Webb (Australia) 71 70 71, Sandra Gal (Germany) 69 73 (T9)
213 Stacy Lewis (USA) 71 69 73, Azahara Munoz (Spain) 71 68 74 (T19)
214 Suzann Pettersen (Norway) 69 73 72 (23rd)
220 Carly Booth (Scotland) 72 74 74 (T37)
222 Jodi Ewart Shadoff (England) 74 75 73 (T44)
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
CLICK HERE
DESPITE DOUBLE BOGEY 7 AT 18th
Catriona Matthew was back at her brilliant best today in the third round of the Honda LPGA Thailand at the Siam Country Club, Chonburi.
The North Berwick player, who missed the cut in last week's Australian Women's Open, shot a seven-under-par 65 despite a double bogey 7 at the long 18th.
Catriona burned up the course with birdies at the first, third, sixth, eighth (out in 32), 10th, 13th and 14th, followed by an eagle 2 at the 15th ... pity about the last hole!
But the Scot, whose 65 was the round of the day, has leaped up the scoreboard from T33 to T9, seven strokes behind the all-the-way leader Anna Nordqvist (Sweden) who is four shots clear after rounds of 66, 72 and 67 for 11-under 205.
Catriona's earlier rounds over the par-72 lay-out were 76 and 71. Carly Booth has had scores of 72, 74 and 74 for T37 on 220.
Jodi Ewart Shadoff from Yorkshire is on 222 and T44 with scores of 74, 75 and 73.
Nordqvist, chasing her first win since her rookie pro season of 2009, leads by four from defending champion Inbee Park (South Korea) (71-71-67) and Michelle Wie (USA) (67-73-69).
ANNA NORDQVIST LEADS BY FOUR,
CHASING FIRST WIN SINCE 2009
FROM THE LPGA TOUR WEBSITE REPORT
World No. 27 Anna Nordqvist continued her stellar play in Thailand this week and extended her lead to four shots after a third round 5-under 67.
The Swedish player's three-day total of 11-under par 205 puts her on top of a star-studded leaderboard including No. 1 and defending champion Inbee Park and two-time LPGA Tour winner Michelle Wie who are tied for second at 7-under par 209.
Nordqvist started the day with a one-shot lead and got started quickly with a birdie on the par 4 2nd hole. But two missed putts for birdie within three feet each and a bogey on No. 5 knocked the Swede’s momentum before the turn.
Wie, who was playing one group in front of Nordqvist, took the outright lead with her third and final birdie of the day on No. 10.
“I took the lead, I saw that,” said Wie. “But, yeah, I need to make a couple more birdies. There were a couple birdie holes coming in. I didn't really take advantage of the drivable par 4 (15th hole) today. "But birdies are out there. Just got to be consistent, not too aggressive on some holes, and got to make the putts tomorrow.”
Nordqvist turned things around immediately on the back nine and regained the lead with an eagle on the par 5 10th hole. The 26-year old, who has not won since her rookie season of 2009, said she hit the perfect fade with a 3-wood on her second shot and left a six-inch tap in.
“Any time you can tap an eagle you're pretty happy,” said Nordqvist. “I mean, I watched the leaderboard and saw nobody was really running away,” said Nordqvist.
“But I knew there were a couple birdies on the back nine, but the wind picked up a little bit so made it a little bit tougher.”
She extended her lead to two shots with a birdie on No. 12 and to three shots on No. 15. After finishing with a bogey on the final hole in yesterday’s second round, Nordqvist said she wanted to make up for it on Saturday. She sank a five-foot slider to push her lead to four.
“I finished with a bogey yesterday so a little bit of a revenge going into 18 today,” said Nordqvist. “Great shot from 50 yards up to the pin. Felt really good to make it and to leave the 18th green with some good mojo and can't wait for tomorrow.”
World No. 1 Inbee Park put herself in great position to defend her title and to have a chance to win in her first LPGA Tour event of the 2014 season. The reigning Rolex Player of the Year admitted to having some rusty spots in her game over the first two rounds but looked back to form after a 5-under 67 on Saturday.
“I was like four or five back behind the leader (to start), so last couple days been like a little bit of rusty from five week break,” said Park.
“I think just a little bit of everything didn't really work out last two days. I was just trying to work things out and get used to the tournament feeling. That's what I did today.
“I feel like I'm a lot more comfortable and a lot less nervous.”
Six multi-win players are within six shots of the lead: Inbee Park -7 (9 wins), Michelle Wie -7, (2 wins), Yani Tseng -5 (15 wins), Cristie Kerr -5 (16 wins), Lydia Ko -5 (2 wins) and Lexi Thompson -5 (3 wins).
Nordqvist said earlier this week that she was close to quitting the game toward the end of the 2013 season. But she found new motivation in the off-season and with some equipment changes has felt re-energised with her game.
Catriona Matthew made the biggest jump of the day on Saturday with a 7-under 65. The Scot was blemish free through 17 holes and was on pace to tie the tournament record of 63 until a double bogey on the par 5 18th hole. She was nine shots off the lead and jumped from T33 into a tie for ninth.
“I gave myself a lot of chances and just holed them all today,” said Matthew. “Then obviously a disappointing way to finish. I would have taken 65 before I started."
THIRD-ROUND LEADERBOARD
Par 216 (3x72)
205 Anna Nordqvist (Sweden) 66 72 67
209 Inbee Park (S Korea) 71 71 67, Michelle Wie (USA) 67 73 69
210 Julieta Granada (Paraguay) 71 68 71
211 Yani Tseng (Taiwan) 72 73 66, Cristie Kerr (USA) 71 72 68, Lydia Ko (NZ) 72 70 69, Lexi Thompson (USA) 68 74 69
SELECTED SCORES
212 Catriona Matthew (Scotland) 76 71 65, Caroline Hedwall (Sweden) 6 9 73 70, Karrie Webb (Australia) 71 70 71, Sandra Gal (Germany) 69 73 (T9)
213 Stacy Lewis (USA) 71 69 73, Azahara Munoz (Spain) 71 68 74 (T19)
214 Suzann Pettersen (Norway) 69 73 72 (23rd)
220 Carly Booth (Scotland) 72 74 74 (T37)
222 Jodi Ewart Shadoff (England) 74 75 73 (T44)
TO VIEW ALL THE SCORES
CLICK HERE
Labels: LPGA TOUR
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