Nataliya Guseva fired a round of 67 (-5) on day three in Morocco to lead the Final Qualifier Marrakech by two shots.
The 20-year-old produced rounds of 67 on the first two days of the tournament and continued her excellent form.
Playing at Royal Golf De Marrakech, Guseva rolled in back-to-back birdies on the fourth and fifth holes before making three birdies on the trot on eight, nine and 10.
She dropped her only shot of the day on the 13th but soon made up for it with another birdie on 17 to seal a round of five-under and sit at the top of the leaderboard on 16-under-par.
“I’m really happy. It feels amazing being here in Morocco,” she said. “I’ve never been here before, it just happened that I played all three rounds really good.
“My game is in great shape and the putting was really good today. Drives as well. I’ve just got to try to keep going, take it shot by shot and not think about the end of the tournament. Stay in the moment.
“I’m a long hitter off the tee. Driver is my favourite my club. When the putter is then hot like today, it just fires up the scores. It’s really nice to play those types of golf courses that aren’t long. I have an advantage over the field because of that.”
Guseva played the 2023 season on the Epson Tour securing her first victory at the 2023 Black Desert Resort Championship in September.
She comes into this tournament off the back of earning her LPGA Tour card at Q-Series where she finished in a tie for 23rd place.
She explained: “It’s been a big confidence boost coming here with my LPGA card. It was always my dream playing in Europe. I know a lot of girls here, so I’ve always wanted LET status. There are amazing events and so much variety. It’s a worldwide tour. Coming here has been amazing.
“Honestly, I had a talk earlier today with my parents and my coach about it, and today I just really tried to not think about my past two rounds. Trying to play the same as I did the first day rather than thinking I might be on top, or that I’m close to the lead. I tried to stay in the moment and play every hole as a new game and every round as a new round. I think that’s the most important thing.”
Amateur Shannon Tan sits in second place on the leaderboard with a total of 14-under-par after she fired a round of 68 (-5) at Al Maaden Golf.
The Singapore player was a co-medallist at the Pre-Qualifier held at Noria Golf and picked up where she left off last week.
In similar fashion to Guseva, Tan has produced three rounds of 68 over the three competition days and today’s round of five-under included seven birdies and two bogeys.
“The front nine was a bit different because it was windier,” said Tan. “I missed more greens than usual, I hit 17 greens in the first two rounds but only 15 greens today.
“The front nine, I struggled with the wind – it was between one club and one and a half clubs at some holes. I had to tell myself to be disciplined and hit away from the pin at the safest spot to make par.
“I had to stick to that plan for the first 12 holes, but the last few holes the wind died down so I could go for it. There were more tucked pins on the back nine, they were tougher but without the wind I could go for it. Overall, still pretty boring golf.”
Tan, who is in her second year at Texas Tech University, competed as an amateur in the Aramco Team Series Presented by PIF – Singapore earlier this season.
Having rolled in five birdies on the first two rounds and seven birdies in round three, the 19-year-old acknowledged that she’d improved certain areas of her game.
She explained: “The par-fives didn’t go well yesterday! I was even par for the par-fives yesterday which should not be the case.
“Today, I was four-under for the par-fives which was a lot better and that was the biggest difference. I had a bit of a struggle with the 3-wood and 5-wood over the first two days but today I sorted it out.”
Slovenia’s Ana Belac is in outright third place on 13-under-par having carded a round of 70 (-3) at Al Maaden Golf.
Belac dropped her only shot of the day on the 15th and made birdies on holes four, seven, eight and 14.
“The wind was definitely stronger; I think it played a touch more challenging,” said the Slovenian.
“There was maybe a couple less opportunities out there but I still hit quite a few shots close and gave myself a few opportunities. I didn’t really make a lot of them, but it’s nice to see there are plenty of birdies out there that I can make over the next two rounds.
“I was hitting a lot of them close. I didn’t make all my five-footers that were close, that was disappointing but it’s nice when you keep getting opportunities. The putts are going to fall eventually.
“For the next two days, I’m just trying to shoot the best score that I can every day and make as many chances as I can and try to make birdies and hopefully, avoid mistakes and keep it one shot at a time.”
Two players sit in a share of fourth place with Thailand’s Aunchisa Utama and Mexico’s Fernanda Lira both on 12-under-par.
It was quite the round for Utama, who goes by the nickname Jan, as she began with two birdies in her first two holes before making a hole-in-one on the par-three third.
The Thai player made a bogey on the fifth but bounced back with birdies on eight and 11 before dropping another shot on 13, however, she made another birdie on 16 for her round of 67 (-5).
While it was a more frustrating day for Lira, who led after rounds one and two, as she carded a level par round of 73.
India’s Pranavi Urs and Spain’s Luna Sobron Galmes sit in a tie for sixth place on 11-under-par with South Africa’s Cara Gorlei in outright eighth place on nine-under-par.
Three players round are in share of ninth place with France’s Agathe Laisne, Poland’s Dorota Zalewska and English amateur Annabell Fuller all on eight-under-par.
The fourth round will begin at 9.30 am (local time) and there will be a cut to the top 65 and ties at the end of the day.
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