LANCASTER, Pa. — With the largest identify on the LPGA Tour spending the remainder of her weekend away from Lancaster Nation Membership, an exhilarating end is nonetheless brewing getting into the ultimate spherical of the U.S. Ladies’s Open.
No Nelly Korda? No downside.
It simply means extra Wichanee Meechai, Minjee Lee and, after her 3-stroke surge Saturday, extra Andrea Lee, too. After buying and selling birdies and bogeys alongside the again 9, the trio sits tied atop the leaderboard at minus-5 general with 18 holes to go within the main championship.
“Michelle Wie West texted me [Friday] night time and she or he informed me simply regardless of the final result is, simply put your 100% effort into it,” Andrea Lee stated, referring to the 2014 U.S. Ladies’s Open champion. “I actually took that to coronary heart.
“I simply tried to have enjoyable on the market and simply play the golf course and never attempt to play in opposition to the sphere. Simply me and the golf course.”
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Though Andrea Lee’s third-round 67 did not appear to show it, the course has been its personal opponent of kinds this week.
Two days earlier than play started, Korda — the world No. 1 who has gained six of the 9 occasions she has entered this season — known as it “a beast.”
For her, it was a menace. Korda joined a number of different golfers ranked within the prime 20 who missed the reduce. Most of them attributed their struggles to the hilly fairways, unforgiving water hazards and sloping greens which can be hallmarks of Lancaster Nation Membership.
Early in her third spherical, although, Minjee Lee tamed one of the vital difficult holes, the par 5 at No. 7. After a succession of booming pictures off the tee and fairway, she buried an eagle putt that drew loud, approving roars from the group that echoed all through the course.
“The tee was up,” Minjee Lee stated of the 470-yard gap. “Hit driver, hit 6-iron, pulled it slightly bit, hit the tough, received an incredible kick to the proper and simply rolled all the way in which to the pin about 1 foot.”
After starting the afternoon at 2-under, Minjee Lee’s eagle closed a niche with Meechai, who entered the day with a 2-stroke lead on the sphere.
“Clearly I needed to have an excellent rating on Spherical 3, shifting day,” Minjee Lee stated. “I attempted to simply hold it fairly calm, and I simply tried to be affected person on the market.
“I really feel like my recreation has been trending, week to week. It has been getting higher and higher in all elements of my recreation. I really feel prefer it has been coming collectively for the second I’m in proper now.”
The 2022 U.S. Ladies’s Open champion, Minjee Lee is pushing for her second win on the event and her third general main victory.
Together with the early eagle, she added a birdie on No. 16, sinking a curving, 17-foot putt to drop her to minus-5 general. Andrea Lee additionally birdied the opening, establishing the three-way tie that carries into Sunday.
Had it not been for a narrowly missed birdie try on No. 16 and one other on No. 18 that fully rolled across the prime of the cup earlier than lipping out, Minjee Lee may need snuck into first place to shut out the spherical.
To her credit score, Meechai parred six of her holes on the again 9 to maintain on the entrance of the pack.
“I by no means suppose that I’ll be on the leaderboard or one thing like that, but it surely’s nice,” Meechai stated. “It feels actually good.”
Meechai is competing in her fourth U.S. Ladies’s Open. Earlier than this yr, she had by no means completed any larger than thirtieth on the event. Though she has been knowledgeable since 2010, Meechai, from Thailand, has by no means gained in the US. Her 5 whole victories have are available in professional occasions in Thailand, China and Taiwan.
“My concentrate on the sport [was] fairly good,” Meechai stated of her third spherical. “I hit numerous dangerous pictures, however I haven’t got any dangerous ideas about my swing or concerning the outcome in any respect. I am simply staying in my zone and attempting to maintain going after which be affected person.”
