Jennifer Kupcho and Leona Maguire finished with birdies on 17 and 18 to save what was a struggle on moving day, as Sarah Schmelzel and Albane Valenzuela took the third-round lead Saturday in the Dow Championship.
Kupcho and Leona Maguire, the second-round leaders after a 60, birdied the final two holes for a 72 that left them tied for fourth at 11 under with Lauren Hartlage-Brooke Matthews (66) and Sung Hyun Park-Ina Yoon (67) . Kupcho won in 2022 with Lizette Salas.
“Just try and go low and try and post a number early and see what happens,” Maguire said. “I think it was nice to see two putts go in at the end.”
Schmelzel and Valenzuela shot a two-under 68 in alternate-shot play to move into position for their first LPGA Tour victories.
Schmelzel and Valenzuela had a 13-under 197 total at Midland Country Cup heading into the better-ball final round. They opened with an alternate-shot 68 on Thursday and had a best-ball 61 on Friday.
“You’re kind of on pins and needles most of the day, just hoping you don’t get your partner in trouble,” Schmelzel said. “Just super solid. I feel like we had really good attitudes throughout the entire day. I think both of us took every single shot as it came.”
The teams of Jin Hee Im-Somi Lee (68) and Manon De Roey-Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (69) were a stroke back.
“I’m very proud of us,” De Roey said. “We hung in there. We fought until the end.”
Lexi Thompson-Meghan Kang (68) and Rio Takeda-Miyu Yamashita (67) are a shot further back on 10-under-par.
Kupcho and Maguire get their final round underway at 5.24pm Irish time, and Maguire will hope to head to Carton House next week for the Irish Open, as a champion again.
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