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| Lydia Ko |
Rolex World Number 8 Korean Jiyai Shin and World Number 1 amateur Kiwi Lydia Ko share the lead at 17-under par at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, heading into tomorrow’s final round at Royal Canberra Golf Club, Yarralumla.
Both Ko and Shin, a runner-up at the Open in 2008 and the current RICOH Women’s British Open champion, fired rounds of 3-under par 70 to co-lead the championship by six strokes.
“I’m really looking forward to tomorrow as I’ve enjoyed the last three rounds. I know I’m playing a really young golfer but I have more experience of her so I have a really good feeling with my swing and tempo and will keep focused,” Shin said.
“I know I have a lot of fans in Australia and I want show them good play and I really want to win for them.”
Fifteen year-old Ko said she was happy with her round and a victory on Sunday would rank alongside her CN Canadian Open win on the LPGA Tour last August.
“It would be up at the top. Every win is pretty meaningful and especially if it’s an LPGA event, even further so. I just got to stay calm and see what happens tomorrow,” Ko said.
“I’ll just play to the plan I’ve really made. Just because I’m in the final group and we’re on the same score or something, I won’t change my plans. In the past I’ve changed my plan and it wasn’t better,” Ko added.
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| Jiyai Shin |
Spaniard Beatriz Recari is in outright third place at 11-under par after a third round 2-under par 71.
France’s Gwladys Nocera posted the round of the day with an 8-under par 65 in perfect morning conditions to move into a tie for fourth with Spain’s Carlota Ciganda, Taiwan’s Yani Tseng, overnight leader Colombian Mariajo Uribe and Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn at 9-under par.
“I hit the ball really good, and really close to the pin, I had 3 shots off on the front nine, so I was a little bit upset, I could see that I was hitting the ball really well, so I tried to make the putts. I made a good one on the par 5 which helped and then the 17th, so it was good,” Nocera said.
Queenslander Sarah-Jane Smith is the best of the Australians in a tie for 9th place at 8-under par after her even par 73.
The final group of Shin and Ko tee off at 1.40pm.
ABC1 will broadcast the final round from 1.00pm-6.00pm AEST.
Tickets for the championship are available via www.ticketek.com or by calling 132 849.
