Leona Maguire returned a frustrating even-par round of 72 to drop out of the top-5 ahead of the final day at the Ladies European Tour’s Final Stage Lalla Aicha Tour School.
The Cavan professional has been battling a cold putter in Morocco this week and struggled for consistency once more during her penultimate round. Three birdies cancelled out by three bogeys sees Maguire drop into a share of 6th spot on eight-under-par.
She’ll need to heat that putter up for her final round to break back into the top-5 who will earn category 5c membership but can take solace in the fact that those in positions six to 25 will earn category 8 membership of the LET for 2019.
There was some low scores to be had out there as England’s Bronte Law proved again when she followed her sparkling 62 with a superb bogey-free 64 in the fourth round and at 21-under-par after 72 holes, the 23-year-old from Stockport heads into the final round with a two stroke advantage over Linnea Ström from Sweden.
Law said: “I played solidly today and started off really well. I had some good birdies early on and I kept it going. I was playing the same way as yesterday; just kept pushing. It was nice to make birdies because I was pushing hard.”
Law started her fourth round with a tap-in birdie to a tough pin on the par-4 first hole at Palm Golf Ourika. It was the first of three successive birdies and she added gains at the sixth and eighth holes to turn in 31, five-under-par. On the way home, she birdied the 13th, 16th and 17th, to return in 33, after her caddie again offered her £20 for every birdie on the final three holes.
Law is now 19-under for her last 32 holes. Her closest challenger, Ström, had a bogey-free 65 at Amelkis to sit at 19-under-par in total.
Ström, also 23, said: “Today, again, I played very steady. I was good from the tee and good with my wedges and gave myself a lot of chances. I didn’t really get the putts dropping but I stayed patient and got a couple of birdies. I had to save some pars as well.”
“I’m excited about tomorrow. Bronte Law’s a great player and I’ve played a lot with her before. I’m looking forward to a fun day on the course.”
England’s Sian Evans posted a 69 at Amelkis Golf Club to lie in third on 11-under-par and she said: “I struggled a bit on the first few holes. I had a par on the first and then a bogey on two and three and then two more birdies. I eagled nine, which was a definite highlight. I hit on the green in two and holed a 40 foot putt. On the back nine, I started off steadily, had a bogey and then birdied two of the last three.”
This is Evans’ second time at Lalla Aicha Tour School in Marrakesh and she has crowd-funded her trip, mostly through the members and staff of Kings Hill Golf Club in Kent, where she is a PGA professional.
Looking ahead to the final round, she said: “I’ve just got to play my own game and see what happens. To be honest, I was just thinking, just make the cut, but I’m in a great position.”
The final round at Amelkis Golf Club begins at 9am local time and the leaders tee off at 11.01am.
Leave a comment