Leona Maguire is now eleven shots off the pace after a level-par 72 in round three saw her lapped by the field at the Honda LPGA Thailand.
Maguire teed off just three shots off the pace and bogey free through 36 holes. She started as she meant to go on with an opening birdie followed by further gains on 5, 8 and 10 as she remained in contention on thirteen-under-par.
However, a nightmarish run saw her drop five shots in the next seven holes as her challenge for a second LPGA Tour title went up in smoke.
Bogeys on 11, 13, 14, 16 and 17 dropped her back to -8 before she birdied the 18th to finish the day where she started and she is in a share of 20th place on nine-under-par.
The odds are pointing in favour of a local winner as Natthakritta Vongtaveelap leads Atthaya Thitikul by four shots on twenty-under after both players shot blistering 64s.
Céline Boutier is a shot further back in third on -15 with Swedish pair Anna Nordqvist and Maja Stark sharing 4th on -14.
Former world number one Thitikul birdied four of her first five holes as she burst her way into the mix.
“I mean, just like I think like my mental today is pretty good. I mean, like not thinking about much. Yeah, and also I can perform really well with the ball striking and when I hit a solid like today, so giving my a chance to make the birdie.”
The Thai woman played alongside current world number one Lydia Ko in front of a bumper home crowd.
“Yeah, I feel like, you know, like happy to, you know, like be out here, my home crowd. And also I mean, everyone cheer — like they are cheering for Lydia as well. Obviously because she’s number one in the world, which is great.
“When I played in Korea everyone just cheering with Lydia Ko as well. It’s kind of like that when you’re in your home, but always nice to be out here in Thai.
“It would mean a lot to win tomorrow. Like it would mean a lot to me and to my team and to Thai fans I would say. But obviously I don’t really thinking about, you know, like getting the trophy, because like it’s golf. It’s still 18 more holes to go, and then you like don’t know what’s going to happen in the front of you.
“Just do your best. If it’s your day, it’s your day.”
Scoring HERE
Leave a comment