16 Aug 2020 | Professional golf |
Lee remains in Scottish Open hunt
by Martin Blake
Chasing her first win in Europe, Australia’s top-ranked female player Minjee Lee is five strokes from the lead entering the final round of the Ladies Scottish Open.
Lee has an outside chance tonight if she can go low at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick.
Her third round of 70 included four birdies – three in four holes on the back nine – and three bogeys as the Perth superstar continued to play solid golf in challenging seaside conditions. Lee is at two-under par overall, with Spain’s Azahara Munoz at seven-under being the one to hunt down in the final round.
Munoz holed a six-metre birdie putt at the final hole to stretch her lead to a shot from American Stacy Lewis, the second-round leader. The 32-year-old Spaniard has not won an LPGA Tournament for eight long years.
World No. 2 Danielle Kang is in the pack with Lee and chasing a third consecutive victory, while Kiwi Lydia Ko is also thereabouts after her meltdown at the Marathon Classic in America last week.
Another Australian showing up is Hannah Green, who shot a third-round 70 to be tied-17th at one-over par.
Both Green and Lee will have high hopes for the Women’s British Open at Royal Troon next week. Lee has won tournaments in Australia, China, Hawaii and America, but never in Europe, and her record in major championships is less than what you would expect of a player who has reached No. 2 in the world rankings.
IN WALES, two Australians – Jake McLeod and Jason Scrivener – are tied-ninth entering the final round of the Celtic Classic on the European Tour after both shot rounds in the 60s on Saturday.
AT 10-under par McLeod and Scrivener are five shots back from the lead held by Connor Syme of Scotland, who incidentally was the 2016 Australian Amateur champion.
CAMERON DAVIS is the top Australian so far at the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship, forcing himself back into the tournament with a 65 on Saturday that left him just outside the top 20 with a round to play.
Davis is already assured of a spot in the tour playoffs starting in Boston this week along with Adam Scott, Jason Day, Marc Leishman, Cameron Smith and Matt Jones.