Boutier 1st at Superstition Mountain as Jutanugarn struggles
GOLD CANYON, Ariz. (AP) — Celine Boutier of France had an eagle and 6 birdies in a spherical of 7-underneath 65 and moved atop the leaderboard when Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand stumbled down the stretch in Saturday’s third round of the LPGA Drive on Championship.
Boutier, a 29-12 months-outdated two-time tour winner, produced an eagle 3 on the par-5 next hole and extra two birdies that offset a bogey at the par-3 eighth. She performed the back again 9 in 4 beneath for a 16 below whole and a a person-stroke guide in excess of a few other people heading into Sunday’s last spherical.
“I really feel like I experienced a lot of birdie chances now,” she claimed. “I didn’t even make all of them, but I feel like mainly because I was enjoying really continual and concentrating on hitting excellent pictures and acquiring the birdie probabilities, I come to feel like I built a few.”
If the opening a few rounds of the tour’s very first full-industry occasion of the season are any sign, the finale must be a scramble. There are 17 golfers within 3 photographs of the direct right after 9 gamers posted rounds of 7- to 9-under par in a birdie-crammed Saturday.
Boutier, whose previous acquire came at the 2021 Shoprite Typical exterior Atlantic Metropolis, New Jersey, figures she’ll have to go very low in the closing spherical with the course’s agency fairways and speedy greens.
“There is certainly a good deal of possibilities, so I imagine I’m going to have to shoot a very lower score to be ready to have a possibility,” Boutier explained.
Jutanugarn (69), American Alison Lee (67) and South Korean rookie Hae Ran Ryu (64) were tied for next at 15 less than.
Ariya Jutanugarn of Thailand and rookie Celine Borge of Norway are a further stroke back again just after vaulting up the leaderboard with third spherical 63s.
Two-time main winner Jin Youthful Ko of South Korea carded a 4-less than 68 and finished in a 12-way tie for seventh position at 13 below.
Moriya Jutanugarn appeared to be taking command of the match in the middle of her back again nine with 4 birdies among Nos. 11 and 15 ahead of stumbling on the closing holes. She manufactured bogey at the 1st and, soon after transferring into the guide at 17 less than with two holes remaining, designed bogey out of a greenside bunker at the par-3 17th and strike her 2nd shot into a lake that borders the left facet of the closing gap. She built bogey 6 at the last, nevertheless looked forward.
“As very long as I’m however in competition, I’m very satisfied with that,” mentioned Moriya Jutanugarn, the 2013 Rookie of the Calendar year who has two tour wins. “I know it’s not the finish I want, but it’s nevertheless there.”
Lee overcame a bogey at the third with six birdies through the relaxation of the round in pursuit of her initially LPGA victory. The 28-year-old manufactured the slash in 22 of her 24 functions final season with a T-5 as her very best finish at the Women’s Scottish Open up.
“I undoubtedly have some do the job to do tomorrow,” Lee claimed. “I know that for a truth. … In advance of teeing off, I noticed Amy Yang shot 9 under. I was like, ‘Wow, I have received a whole lot of get the job done to do right now.’
“With that in brain, I really don’t experience at ease, because like I reported, I know I’m going to have to phase on the fuel pedal tomorrow.”
Ryu developed momentum by her round, making 6 birdies and closing with an eagle-3 at the par-5 18th. The initial-year tour player hopes to attract on some of her previous encounter in the final spherical.
“I performed in the closing teams a good deal when I played in Korea, but 1st time in the LPGA, so I really do truly feel like a rookie-rookie,” the 22-12 months-old explained. “I’ll take each individual and every shot diligently tomorrow.”
No. 2-rated Nelly Korda, the highest-rated player in the area with top-ranked Lydia Ko not competing, was at 10 under immediately after a third-spherical 70. Defending winner Leona Maguire shot a 69 and was at 9 underneath.
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