KirkwoodGolf

Sunday, May 08, 2016

Ariya Jutanugarn closes with 8-under 28 for three-shot lead at Yokohama LPGA Classic



Ariya Jutanugarn
Ariya Jutanugarn (Getty Images)

What. A. Finish.
Ariya Jutanugarn walked to the 10th tee at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail, Capitol Hill, Senator Course 6 under for the tournament and no threat to take the lead at the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic. And then … she couldn’t be stopped.
Jutanugarn birdied her next five holes and eight of her final nine. 
The stunning birdie blitz in Prattville, Alabama, vaulted the Thai player from outside position to a three-shot lead.
“I mean, I just – after I make birdie on 10 I feel better, because I miss a few putts on the front nine, so after I birdie I feel like, OK, just make more,” said Jutanugarn. “(On every hole), just make birdie on this hole, and I did.”
Sounds easy enough, but the rest of the field didn’t quite crack that code. Jutanugarn’s overall score of 63 was the round of the day by three shots.
While a three-shot overall lead is a nice cushion, Jutanugarn is unlikely to rest on her laurels.
Ryann O’Toole and Minjee Lee, a two-time winner already at age 19, are tied for second at 11 under, with second-round leader So Yeon Ryu fourth at 10 under.
Morgan Pressel shares sixth with Stacy Lewis, who wasn’t thrilled with her 68 that boosted her to 9 under.
“Just got on the wrong side of the holes today, had a lot of tough putts, a lot of downhill sliders, and played a lot better than the score, which I guess is a good thing going into the final round,”Lewis said. “I know a low number is still out there, but definitely left some out there today, I feel like.”
Gerina Piller finds herself 8 under with one day to go, and Brittany Lincicome, another notable American, is 6 under.
Jutanugarn has never won on the LPGA. She nearly captured the ANA Inspiration earlier this year, until a series of late stumbles moved her from the lead to a fourth-place finish.
LEADERBOARD


Ariya Jutanugarn 70 69 . 202
T2 Minjee Lee 67 70 68 . 205
T2 Ryann O'Toole 70 67 68 205
4 So Yeon Ryu 70 65 71 206
T5 Stacy Lewis 71 68 68 207
T5 Morgan Pressel 69 68 70 207
T7 Laetitia Beck 65 73 70 208
T7 Amy Yang 71 68 69 208
T7 Brittany Altomare 73 69 66 208
T7 Caroline Hedwall 75 65 68 208
T7 Gerina Piller 71 68 69 . 208
12 Caroline Masson 70 68 71 209
T13 Hyo Joo Kim 71 68 71 210
T13 Brittany Lincicome 72 67 71 210
T13 Pornanong Phatlum 75 65 70 210
T13 Sarah Jane Smith 70 70 70 210
T13 Cydney Clanton 71 71 68 210
T13 Hee Young Park 71 70 69 210
T13 Jing Yan 73 68 69 210
T20 Candie Kung 69 72 70 211
T20 Alena Sharp 73 67 71 211
T20 Brittany Lang 71 70 70 211
T20 Haru Nomura 72 71 68 211
T24 Anna Nordqvist 75 66 71 212
T24 Ayako Uehara 72 69 71 212
T24 Jodi Ewart Shadoff 73 69 70 212
T24 Sandra Gal 71 73 68 212
T24 Min Lee 72 72 68 212
T24 Su-Hyun Oh 77 67 68 212
T30 Jennifer Johnson 71 71 71 213
T30 Annie Park 67 71 75 213
T30 Paula Reto 71 68 74 213
T30 Brooke Henderson 72 73 68 213
T30 Tiffany Joh 73 69 71 213
T30 Michelle Wie 71 72 70 213
T30 Haeji Kang 76 69 68 213
T37 Q Baek 71 74 69 214
T37 Carlota Ciganda 74 72 68 214
T37 Lindy Duncan 75 69 70 214
T37 Simin Feng 72 70 72 214
T37 Rachel Rohanna 74 69 71 214
T37 Ashleigh Simon 73 69 72 214
T37 Alejandra Llaneza 68 73 73 214
T44 Marina Alex 75 70 70 215
T44 Nontaya Srisawang 74 72 69 215
T44 Gaby Lopez 73 72 70 215
T44 Samantha Richdale 72 73 70 215
T44 Alison Walshe 74 71 70 215
T44 Austin Ernst 73 69 73 215
T44 Asako Fujimoto 73 71 71 215
T44 Vicky Hurst 69 73 73 215
T44 Heather Bowie Young 73 68 74 215
T53 Moriya Jutanugarn 72 74 70 216
T53 Sakura Yokomine 73 73 70 216
T53 Christina Kim 70 73 73 216
T53 Mi Hyang Lee 75 68 73 216
T53 Ai Miyazato 70 74 72 216
T53 Perrine Delacour 70 70 76 216
T53 Beatriz Recari 71 71 74 . 216
T60 Dewi Claire Schreefel 75 71 71 217
T60 Joanna Klatten 71 73 73 217
T60 Cheyenne Woods 70 75 72 217
T63 Katie Burnett 79 67 72 218
T63 Lee-Anne Pace 71 74 73 218
T63 Cyna Marie Rodriguez    73    73   72 218
T63 Karrie Webb 72 73 73 218
T63 Chella Choi 70 74 74 218
T63 Jessica Korda 73 71 74 218
T63 Christine Song 71 72 75 218
T70    Christel Boeljon 71 74 75 220
T70   Jane Rah 78 67 75 220
 

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