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Japan’s Hinako Shibuno, the 2019 British Women’s Open champion, clung to a one-shot lead over American Amy Olson after the third round on Saturday 75 of the US Women’s Open.
The 22-year-old nicknamed “The Smiling Cinderella,” trying to win her debut at the US Women’s Open, shot a par 74 of three over to place at 209 of four under par after 54 holes at Champions Golf Club in Houston, Texas.
Shibuno, who was leading by three shots when the day started, managed just one birdie against four bogeys, starting and ending his round with bogeys.
“It was a bit of a surprise that I missed a couple of shots, but tomorrow I’ll do my best and try to play my way,” Shibuno said through a translator.
Olson, in pursuit of her first LPGA title, shot 71 for second place, the only others below the pair being Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand and South Korea’s Kim2 Ji-yeong, both with 212.
“Definitely pleased,” Olson said. “It’s not easy. It was really a routine out there. I’m satisfied with how I played.”
Moriya, whose only LPGA title came at the 2018 Los Angeles Open, shot a 72 while Kim2 tied the best round of the week with a ghost-free 67, leaping into contention after making the cut in the number.
“So far I am happy. I’m playing pretty solid, ”Moriya said. “You can’t be really aggressive and you just have to be patient.”
The event was rescheduled from June due to the Covid-19 pandemic, which also prevented the attendance of spectators.
Shibuno led off with a three-put bogey but birdied the fifth par 5 after shooting out of a one meter bunker, extending his lead to four shots.
In the seventh, a ball of mud rolled down the back of the green. Shibuno threw to five feet but missed the par putt.
Shibuno, who won four times last year on the Japan LPGA Tour, found a bunker at 14, shot 30 feet and threw two putts for the bogey, and another at 18, missing a pair of eight feet.
Olson, who hit 16 par 3 on Thursday, bogeyed at third and sixth and another to start the final nine after a birdie at ninth par 5.
But the 28-year-old responded with birdies at par 5 13 and par 4 17 and missed a 15-foot shot to settle for par 18.
“I got off to a tough start, but I played very well closing and anything can happen tomorrow,” Olson said.
“It’s about being patient and not getting sucked into what others are doing.”
The 26-year-old Moriya birdied the fifth par 5 but then bogey the six before charging birdies at the par 3 of the eighth and par 5 at 13 to reach 4 under par, two behind Shibuno. .
He tripped over a bogey at 14 and fell into a bunker on the green at par 4 at 17 on his way to a double bogey and a round of 72.
“I had a bad break and only one bad hole and it’s all pretty solid,” Moriya said.
Back-nine starter Kim2 birdied holes 10 and 16 and fourth par-3, then birdied the ninth to share the third.
“In the first half of the round I was not keeping up, but later as the day progressed I looked and was surprised to see how far I had come on the scoreboard,” he said.
“I really didn’t expect to have such a good performance and I’m happy to be here.”
Ko in the fifth place package
New Zealander Lydia Ko was in fifth place at par 213 of the level that featured an American trio: 19-year-old Yealimi Noh, amateur Kaitlyn Papp and Megan Khang.
Swedish amateur Linn Grant, three behind the curve, encountered the water on her approach in the 10th and her chip rolled back into the water on the way to a quad bogey eight on the way to a 78 that knocked her out of the chase. .
The only fan to win the US Women’s Open was Catherine Lacoste of France in 1967.
South Korean Chella Choi topped par 3 12 from 180 yards.
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