South African Ashleigh Buhai is poised to say back-to-back ladies’s Australian Open crowns after seizing command with a superb third-round exhibiting in Sydney.
Key factors:
- Buhai holds a three-stroke lead after the third spherical
- Minjee Lee moved to 3rd on the leaderboard on 5-under
- Her brother Min Woo shares the lead within the males’s area
The defending champion pulled off a five-shot swing to open up a three-stroke lead over midway pacesetter and former world primary Jiyai Shin with a course-record 5-under-par 67 on Saturday.
Australia’s world quantity 5 Minjee Lee roared again to life after a disappointing second spherical to additionally fireplace a brand new low mark of 67 and sit in outright third.
Alas, Lee might want to make up a seven-shot deficit on Buhai, who doesn’t appear like budging in her quest to develop into the primary participant since 2011 to efficiently defend the title.
After beginning the day two pictures behind Shin, Buhai birdied the primary 4 holes and picked up one other on the again 9 to cost to 12-under for the match.
The 2022 British Open winner surged as Shin threw in a double-bogey on the fifth to offset two front-nine birdies and she or he out of the blue discovered herself enjoying catch-up.
South Korean Shin, the 2013 ladies’s Australian Open champion, managed two late birdies to no less than stay in contact getting into championship Sunday.
Lee isn’t giving up both after rebounding from a deflating 75 on Friday to offer herself a glimmer of hope and likewise maintain the dream of an historic household double alive.
Brother Min Woo has once more conjured some last-hole magic within the males’s match to stay on observe to finish a golden summer season after claiming the Australian PGA Championship final week.
The fan favorite produced a superb birdie on the 18th to ship spectators right into a frenzy.
His roller-coaster 1-under 70 was in stark distinction to his dazzling 64 on Friday.
However it was sufficient to maneuver him to 13-under and a share of the lead with Japan’s in-form Rikuya Hoshino.
The co-leaders maintain a one-shot buffer over Englishman Alex Fitzpatrick (66) and American Patrick Rodgers (68), whereas Australian Lucas Herbert is simply two strokes off the tempo in outright fifth after a moving-day 66.
Cameron Smith’s probabilities of profitable the Australian Open for a primary time look slim.
The 2022 British Open champion is in a tie for twenty fifth at 6-under after a spherical of 69.
AAP
