LEONA MAGUIRE PRODUCED her best round of the week at the 77th US Women’s Open this evening to move into a share of tenth position, following a three under round of 68.
The Cavan woman is now five-under for the tournament, eight shots off leader, Minjee Lee from Australia, who fired a four-under-par 67 to set a 54-hole scoring record and seize a three-stroke lead after Saturday’s third round.
Mina Harigae, the American, was in second place, three shots back. Behind them were England’s Bronte Law in third with Swedish amateur, Ingrid Lindblad, and her compatriot, Anna Nordqvist, the leading Europeans in the field, Law producing a fine round of 68, Lindblad and Nordqvist a shot further back.
Then there was Maguire who got her round off to a superb start when she birdied the first, showing good course management to lay up with her second, before she chipped to 14 feet with her third.
The birdie putt, a 14-footer, was expertly read by Maguire, who noted the slight right-to-left break and saw it drop.
It's been a tough Saturday for Sei Young Kim (-1), but this delightful bunker play helped her end on a bit of a high note. #USWomensOpenpic.twitter.com/tHWaFnsJgp
— U.S. Women's Open (USGA) (@uswomensopen) June 4, 2022
However, she bogeyed the par-4 fourth and the par-3 fifth to fall to one-under and seemingly out of contention.
Then came her burst of birdies.
First, at the par-4 ninth, a tremendous approach left her with a four-foot chance. She duly took it. The next chance, on ten, was from 15-feet. Again, she held her nerve as her putt held its line. She was back to three-under and on a roll.
Another birdie came on 12 and then on 13, a 12-footer just sneaked into the hole as Maguire was left looking at a superb opportunity to strike on the final day and get a top-five finish.
For Australia’s Lee, this was a near-perfect day.
The 26-year-old from Perth answered a lone bogey with five birdies, four in a row starting at the ninth hole, to stand on 13-under 200 entering the final round at Pine Needles in Southern Pines, North Carolina.
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“I was pretty solid all day,” Lee said. “I was making pars when I needed to. I made a bogey but then made those birdies. It was nice to get those going and finish with all pars. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Lee’s total broke the old 54-hole tournament mark set by American Juli Inkster in 1999 at Old Waverly and made her the player to catch on Sunday for the record $1.8 million top prize.
“A three-shot lead is a nice cushion but it’s not enough to let your heart calm down,” Lee said. “I’m going to be really focused tomorrow, try and stay calm and concentrate on every shot I’m making.”
American Mina Harigae shot 70 to stand second on 203 with England’s Bronte Law third on 206 after a 68.
“I’m just proud of myself for hanging around, hanging in there,” Harigae said. “If I just play like I did the first couple days, get a couple more putts to drop and be patient with myself, I’ll have a good outcome.”
A pack on 207 including Aussie Lydia Ko, China’s Lin Xiyu, Swedes Ingrid Lindblad and Anna Nordqvist and South Koreans Ko Jin-young, the world number one, and Choi Hye-jin.
Fourth-ranked Lee, a seven-time LPGA Tour winner, captured her only major title at last year’s Evian Championship in France.
Lee hopes to emulate Aussie mentor Karrie Webb, who won a US Women’s Open title at Pine Needles in 2001.
“She texted me yesterday,” Lee said. “She said, ‘Keep it going, let’s go Aussie.’”
Lee made bogey at the par-3 fifth hole while Harigae birdied to seize a two-stroke edge. But Lee answered with a birdie at the sixth and then reeled off her birdie run starting at the end of the front nine.
“On the par-5s, I can be pretty aggressive and some other holes you have wedges in and can be pretty aggressive,” Lee said.
Harigae, whose first-round 64 was one off the US Women’s Open record, seeks her first LPGA title and first top-10 finish in a major.
The best final-round comeback by a US Women’s Open winner has been five strokes, so all those aside from Harigae will try to make a historic fightback for the title.
Prime among them is Law, who shook off two early bogeys with a birdie at the par-5 10th and birdies on three of the last five holes.
“I stayed patient,” Law said. “Had a couple early bogeys but I didn’t let it get to me. I knew if I stayed patient those chances would come on the back nine and they did. Pretty pleased.”
Leading scores after Saturday’s third round of the US Women’s Open at par-71 Pine Needles in Southern Pines, North Carolina (USA unless noted, a denotes amateur):
200 – Minjee Lee (AUS) 67-66-67
203 – Mina Harigae 64-69-70
206 – Bronte Law (ENG) 69-69-68
207 – Lydia Ko (NZL) 72-69-66, Lin Xiyu (CHN) 71-69-67, a-Ingrid Lindblad (SWE) 65-71-71, Ko Jin-young (KOR) 69-67-71, Anna Nordqvist (SWE) 67-68-72, Choi Hye-jin (KOR) 71-64-72
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Maguire's 68 leaves her knocking on the door of a top five finish at US Open
LEONA MAGUIRE PRODUCED her best round of the week at the 77th US Women’s Open this evening to move into a share of tenth position, following a three under round of 68.
The Cavan woman is now five-under for the tournament, eight shots off leader, Minjee Lee from Australia, who fired a four-under-par 67 to set a 54-hole scoring record and seize a three-stroke lead after Saturday’s third round.
Mina Harigae, the American, was in second place, three shots back. Behind them were England’s Bronte Law in third with Swedish amateur, Ingrid Lindblad, and her compatriot, Anna Nordqvist, the leading Europeans in the field, Law producing a fine round of 68, Lindblad and Nordqvist a shot further back.
Then there was Maguire who got her round off to a superb start when she birdied the first, showing good course management to lay up with her second, before she chipped to 14 feet with her third.
The birdie putt, a 14-footer, was expertly read by Maguire, who noted the slight right-to-left break and saw it drop.
However, she bogeyed the par-4 fourth and the par-3 fifth to fall to one-under and seemingly out of contention.
Then came her burst of birdies.
First, at the par-4 ninth, a tremendous approach left her with a four-foot chance. She duly took it. The next chance, on ten, was from 15-feet. Again, she held her nerve as her putt held its line. She was back to three-under and on a roll.
Another birdie came on 12 and then on 13, a 12-footer just sneaked into the hole as Maguire was left looking at a superb opportunity to strike on the final day and get a top-five finish.
For Australia’s Lee, this was a near-perfect day.
The 26-year-old from Perth answered a lone bogey with five birdies, four in a row starting at the ninth hole, to stand on 13-under 200 entering the final round at Pine Needles in Southern Pines, North Carolina.
“I was pretty solid all day,” Lee said. “I was making pars when I needed to. I made a bogey but then made those birdies. It was nice to get those going and finish with all pars. I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Lee’s total broke the old 54-hole tournament mark set by American Juli Inkster in 1999 at Old Waverly and made her the player to catch on Sunday for the record $1.8 million top prize.
“A three-shot lead is a nice cushion but it’s not enough to let your heart calm down,” Lee said. “I’m going to be really focused tomorrow, try and stay calm and concentrate on every shot I’m making.”
American Mina Harigae shot 70 to stand second on 203 with England’s Bronte Law third on 206 after a 68.
“I’m just proud of myself for hanging around, hanging in there,” Harigae said. “If I just play like I did the first couple days, get a couple more putts to drop and be patient with myself, I’ll have a good outcome.”
A pack on 207 including Aussie Lydia Ko, China’s Lin Xiyu, Swedes Ingrid Lindblad and Anna Nordqvist and South Koreans Ko Jin-young, the world number one, and Choi Hye-jin.
Fourth-ranked Lee, a seven-time LPGA Tour winner, captured her only major title at last year’s Evian Championship in France.
Lee hopes to emulate Aussie mentor Karrie Webb, who won a US Women’s Open title at Pine Needles in 2001.
“She texted me yesterday,” Lee said. “She said, ‘Keep it going, let’s go Aussie.’”
Lee made bogey at the par-3 fifth hole while Harigae birdied to seize a two-stroke edge. But Lee answered with a birdie at the sixth and then reeled off her birdie run starting at the end of the front nine.
“On the par-5s, I can be pretty aggressive and some other holes you have wedges in and can be pretty aggressive,” Lee said.
Harigae, whose first-round 64 was one off the US Women’s Open record, seeks her first LPGA title and first top-10 finish in a major.
The best final-round comeback by a US Women’s Open winner has been five strokes, so all those aside from Harigae will try to make a historic fightback for the title.
Prime among them is Law, who shook off two early bogeys with a birdie at the par-5 10th and birdies on three of the last five holes.
“I stayed patient,” Law said. “Had a couple early bogeys but I didn’t let it get to me. I knew if I stayed patient those chances would come on the back nine and they did. Pretty pleased.”
Leading scores after Saturday’s third round of the US Women’s Open at par-71 Pine Needles in Southern Pines, North Carolina (USA unless noted, a denotes amateur):
200 – Minjee Lee (AUS) 67-66-67
203 – Mina Harigae 64-69-70
206 – Bronte Law (ENG) 69-69-68
207 – Lydia Ko (NZL) 72-69-66, Lin Xiyu (CHN) 71-69-67, a-Ingrid Lindblad (SWE) 65-71-71, Ko Jin-young (KOR) 69-67-71, Anna Nordqvist (SWE) 67-68-72, Choi Hye-jin (KOR) 71-64-72
208 – Leona Maguire (IRL) 70-70-68, Ji Eun-hee (KOR) 70-69-69, Megan Khang 71-67-70, Moriya Jutanugarn (THA) 69-68-71
209 – Nelly Korda 70-69-70
210 - Lee So-mi (KOR) 73-68-69, Andrea Lee 70-68-72
211 – Lilia Vu 71-69-71, Lexi Thompson 68-71-72
212 - Kim Sei-young (KOR) 69-68-75
213 – Brooke Henderson (CAN) 72-73-68, Charley Hull (ENG) 75-68-70, Amanda Doherty 70-72-71, Hannah Green (AUS) 70-71-72
214 - Chun In-gee (KOR) 72-73-69, Cheyenne Knight 74-71-69, Allisen Corpuz 69-74-71, Georgia Hall (ENG) 72-71-71, Marissa Steen 72-71-71, a-Bailey Shoemaker 72-70-72, Sakura Koiwai (JPN) 70-71-73
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