Dubai: British Open champion Stacy Lewis shot a two-under-par 70 on day three of the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters on Friday to take her overall score to 11 under and give her a two-shot lead over Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum.
The 28-year-old world No 3 hit a single birdie on her outward nine before returning with two birdies either side of a bogey. She had risen from tied for sixth after day one to first at the end of Thursday’s play, and she remains atop the leaderboard heading into the final day.
Phatlum, who was fourth and three strokes behind after day two, has now crept up to second after adding a 69 to earlier rounds of 68 and 70. On Friday she hit two birdies on her front nine and two bogeys and three birdies on her return.
“It’s always hard to follow up a day like I had yesterday [Thursday], especially on the greens,” Lewis said after Friday’s round. “It was a day that could have been worse and could have been better, but overall I’m right where I need to be going into tomorrow [Saturday].
“That’s golf. Just when you think you’ve got it figured out, it’s something else. I just didn’t hit it quite as close and didn’t have as many opportunities at birdies, but I still hit a ton of greens and if I can just get a couple of birdies to fall early tomorrow, then I think I’ll be in a good place.”
Of her key threats going into the final day, the American added: “Pornanong and I played together for the first two days and she played so solidly. She’s just kind of sneaky and steady, so she’s definitely somebody to look out for, and Carlota [Ciganda] hits it so far that she can take advantage of the par fives, so I would look to those two.”
Phatlum said: “My game is getting better. I’m just trying to play it shot-by-shot, try my best without putting any pressure on myself. Stacy is a very good player, she is number three in the world and is playing very good this week.”
Spain’s Ciganda, who was third after round two at seven under par, is now tied for third at six under after dropping a shot on day three. A bogey and two birdies on her front nine were cancelled out by a further two bogeys on her back nine.
Elsewhere, South Africa’s Connie Chen hit a hole in one from 160 yards using a six iron on the par-three 15th hole to win a Mercedes Benz E400 convertible. It helped her secure a two-under-par round of 70 despite three bogeys and a double bogey. Added to her earlier rounds of 74 and 75, she is now three over par for the tournament.
