Danish veteran Iben Tinning and England’s Melissa Reid shared the third-round lead yesterday at the Dubai Ladies Masters.
Tinning, who will retire from the European Tour after the tournament, was two shots back at the halfway mark but had four birdies on her way to a 3-under 69 to pass overnight leader Lydia Hall of Wales. Reid was three shots back but had her best score of the tournament — a 4-under 68 — to grab a share of the lead on the final hole.
Hall remained in the hunt a shot back, after she recovered from an early double bogey to shoot even par and remain at 7 under. She was tied with Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist.
PHOTO: AFP
Michelle Wie struggled again, shooting a 1-over 73. Wie, hampered by back problems, had a rollercoaster round. She birdied the third hole to go 2 under, but then had two bogeys on the back nine before stringing together two birdies. On the 18th, she double-bogeyed to move to even par 216 for the tournament.
Wie lamented her missed opportunities on the front nine where she parred every hole except one and the par 5s where she had two bogeys and a double bogey to go along with a lone par.
“I didn’t play well on the par 5 in the end. Oh well,” Wie said. “I didn’t make any birdie putts in the beginning which is a struggle for me. Other than that, I played pretty solid. I just have to monkey with a couple of shots.”
CAMBODIA OPEN
AFP, SIEM REAP, CAMBODIA
Japan’s Kenichi Kuboya took his lead into the weekend rounds after returning with a second round five-under-par 67 at the Johnnie Walker Cambodian Open yesterday.
The first-round leader extended his lead with a two-day total of 12-under-par 132, while Australia’s Adam Groom carded a 66 to take second place with South Korea’s Kim Hyung-sung, who posted a 65.
Thailand’s Panuwat Muenlek added a 67 to his opening 68 to take fourth place alongside young compatriot Atiwit Janewattananond. Defending champion Marcus Both of Australia posted a 69 for a share of sixth place on matching 136.
Taiwan’s Lu Wen-teh was in a group of four players a shot further back.
ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY STAFF WRITER
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