Ariya Jutanugarn closes with 8-under 28 for three-shot lead at Yokohama LPGA Classic

By Kevin Casey

Ariya Jutanugarn (Getty Images)

What. A. Finish.
Ariya Jutanugarn walked to the 10th tee at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Capitol Hill, Senator Course 6 under for the tournament and no threat to take the lead at the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic. And then … she couldn’t be stopped.
Jutanugarn birdied her next five holes and eight of her final nine. 
The stunning birdie blitz in Prattville, Alabama, vaulted the Thai player from outside position to a three-shot lead.
“I mean, I just – after I make birdie on 10 I feel better, because I miss a few putts on the front nine, so after I birdie I feel like, OK, just make more,” said Jutanugarn. “(On every hole), just make birdie on this hole, and I did.”
Sounds easy enough, but the rest of the field didn’t quite crack that code. Jutanugarn’s overall score of 63 was the round of the day by three shots.
While a three-shot overall lead is a nice cushion, Jutanugarn is unlikely to rest on her laurels.
Ryann O’Toole and Minjee Lee, a two-time winner already at age 19, are tied for second at 11 under, with second-round leader So Yeon Ryu fourth at 10 under.
Morgan Pressel shares sixth with Stacy Lewis, who wasn’t thrilled with her 68 that boosted her to 9 under.
“Just got on the wrong side of the holes today, had a lot of tough putts, a lot of downhill sliders, and played a lot better than the score, which I guess is a good thing going into the final round,”Lewis said. “I know a low number is still out there, but definitely left some out there today, I feel like.”
Gerina Piller finds herself 8 under with one day to go, and Brittany Lincicome, another notable American, is 6 under.
Jutanugarn has never won on the LPGA. She nearly captured the ANA Inspiration earlier this year, until a series of late stumbles moved her from the lead to a fourth-place finish.
LEADERBOARD

	Ariya Jutanugarn	70	69	.					202
T2	Minjee Lee	67	70	68	.				205
T2	Ryann O'Toole	70	67	68					205
4	So Yeon Ryu	70	65	71					206
T5	Stacy Lewis	71	68	68					207
T5	Morgan Pressel	69	68	70					207
T7	Laetitia Beck	65	73	70					208
T7	Amy Yang	71	68	69					208
T7	Brittany Altomare	73	69	66					208
T7	Caroline Hedwall	75	65	68					208
T7	Gerina Piller	71	68	69	.				208
12	Caroline Masson	70	68	71					209
T13	Hyo Joo Kim	71	68	71					210
T13	Brittany Lincicome	72	67	71					210
T13	Pornanong Phatlum	75	65	70					210
T13	Sarah Jane Smith	70	70	70					210
T13	Cydney Clanton	71	71	68					210
T13	Hee Young Park	71	70	69					210
T13	Jing Yan	73	68	69					210
T20	Candie Kung	69	72	70					211
T20	Alena Sharp	73	67	71					211
T20	Brittany Lang	71	70	70					211
T20	Haru Nomura	72	71	68					211
T24	Anna Nordqvist	75	66	71					212
T24	Ayako Uehara	72	69	71					212
T24	Jodi Ewart Shadoff	73	69	70					212
T24	Sandra Gal	71	73	68					212
T24	Min Lee	72	72	68					212
T24	Su-Hyun Oh	77	67	68					212
T30	Jennifer Johnson	71	71	71					213
T30	Annie Park	67	71	75					213
T30	Paula Reto	71	68	74					213
T30	Brooke Henderson	72	73	68					213
T30	Tiffany Joh	73	69	71					213
T30	Michelle Wie	71	72	70					213
T30	Haeji Kang	76	69	68					213
T37	Q Baek	71	74	69					214
T37	Carlota Ciganda	74	72	68					214
T37	Lindy Duncan	75	69	70					214
T37	Simin Feng	72	70	72					214
T37	Rachel Rohanna	74	69	71					214
T37	Ashleigh Simon	73	69	72					214
T37	Alejandra Llaneza	68	73	73					214
T44	Marina Alex	75	70	70					215
T44	Nontaya Srisawang	74	72	69					215
T44	Gaby Lopez	73	72	70					215
T44	Samantha Richdale	72	73	70					215
T44	Alison Walshe	74	71	70					215
T44	Austin Ernst	73	69	73					215
T44	Asako Fujimoto	73	71	71					215
T44	Vicky Hurst	69	73	73					215
T44	Heather Bowie Young	73	68	74					215
T53	Moriya Jutanugarn	72	74	70					216
T53	Sakura Yokomine	73	73	70					216
T53	Christina Kim	70	73	73					216
T53	Mi Hyang Lee	75	68	73					216
T53	Ai Miyazato	70	74	72					216
T53	Perrine Delacour	70	70	76					216
T53	Beatriz Recari	71	71	74	.				216
T60	Dewi Claire Schreefel	75	71	71					217
T60	Joanna Klatten	71	73	73					217
T60	Cheyenne Woods	70	75	72					217
T63	Katie Burnett	79	67	72					218
T63	Lee-Anne Pace	71	74	73					218
T63	Cyna Marie Rodriguez	73	73	72					218
T63	Karrie Webb	72	73	73					218
T63	Chella Choi	70	74	74					218
T63	Jessica Korda	73	71	74					218
T63	Christine Song	71	72	75					218
T70	Christel Boeljon	71	74	75					220
T70	Jane Rah	78	67	75					220