Emily Kristine Pedersen started her round with two birdies in her first three holes then added four more on the back nine for a bogey-free 64 to take a three-shot lead at 18-under at The ANNIKA.
The Dane credited her short game on Saturday for her consistent play, in which she had three successful sand saves and her lowest number of putts this week at 26.
“My short game was pretty good today. I got up and down every time I missed a green, and I holed a chip, so that definitely kept me in the game, especially early in the round. It’s not been great the last couple days, but today was good. That’s kind of what kept the bogeys off the card and kept the momentum going, I think.”
With her 54-hole score of 192, Pedersen set another tournament scoring record alongside the 36-hole scoring record she set after Friday’s round. This is now the first time that the seven-year LPGA Tour veteran has led or co-led after 54 holes, and she is seeking the help of her team to be successful this week.
“I spoke to my coach this morning, spoke to my mental coach, and they said, try and have it as a goal to lead by more than you lead with today to kind of have something for me to chase, and to just focus on what I was doing and not looking at the others. So that’s kind of what I just tried to do. Tried to make more birdies on the weekend than I did the first two days, and that kind of kept me chasing even though I was in the lead.”
South Korea’s Amy Yang recorded seven birdies and an eagle to shoot a bogey-free 61 and break the 18-hole scoring record at The ANNIKA. She lies in second place at 15-under alongside American Lilia Vu who recorded a bogey-free 62.
Four players are tied for fourth place at 13-under including Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit and American Alison Lee who both recorded bogey-free 62s to move up from 21st place.
