Patience paid off for Paula Creamer on Saturday with a bogey free four-under-par 68 in the third round of the Samsung World Championship giving her one-stroke lead at the US$1 million event.
Creamer, who shot a 74 in windy conditions on Friday, birdied her final three holes to move to six-under 210.
She leads Angela Stanford, who is at five-under 211, by one shot.
PHOTO: AFP
Stanford shot three-under 69 on Saturday at the Half Moon Bay Golf Links’ Ocean Course.
Mexico’s Lorena Ochoa, who is seeking her third consecutive win in this tournament, was tied for third after a 70.
The world No.1 was joined at four-under 212 by Australian Katherine Hull (69) and South Korean Kim Song-hee (70).
South Korea’s Choi Na-yeon took a two-stroke lead into Saturday’s third round but dropped to 10th at one-under 215 after a three-over par 75.
Creamer shook off the frustrations of Friday’s blustery round to par her first six holes on Saturday.
The American picked up her first birdie of the day at the seventh, parred eight more than birdied her last three.
“Yesterday, definitely my attitude and my mannerisms on the golf course got me in trouble the last six or seven holes,” Creamer said. “Today my goal was to go out and just be a team player and to have fun and not get too upset when things happen out there.”
“I’ve never seen a scoreboard go up and down so many times in a tournament,” said Creamer, who added that controlling her emotions in those circumstances was paramount.
“You know, I did that,” she said. “I stayed patient until the last three holes. I made some putts down the stretch.”
Stanford led by as many as three shots but faded with double-bogyes at 13 and 15.
She closed on a positive note with back-to-back birdies.
“Well, I’m putting very well,” Stanford said. “If you can get the ball rolling, and you are putting well out here, you are going to make some birdies.”
Stanford admitted it was “deflating” to take the lead at seven-under and be unable to stay there.
“But, you know, I had to remind myself that the tournament wasn’t over when I got to seven-under,” she said. “The tournament still isn’t over. So often golfers get so upset about going backwards, when if I didn’t have those birdies, and then have the doubles, then you are really in trouble.”
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