Ariya Jutanugarn shot a bogey-free 66 on Saturday to take the third-round lead at the RICOH Women’s British Open, while Lee-Anne Pace leapfrogged Ashleigh Simon to lead the South African charge at Woburn Golf Club in Milton Keyes, England.
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“I think I know how to play under pressure – I have to focus on and focus on what is under my control”.
Jutanugarn will become the first Thai to win a major tournament if she can protect her lead on Sunday.
“Before today, I think it’s helped me a lot, but after ANA, I’m still really nervous”, Jutanugarn told the media. Asked what was said to her, the new champion said: “I don’t know”.
“I had a couple of slack shots on the two par threes on the front nine and it was a bit of a struggle from there”, Matthew said.
But a three-time victor in the USA since, Jutanugarn regrouped with three straight pars and put the icing on the cake with a birdie at the 71 hole to put the result beyond doubt.
Her win in the Volvik Championship in MI in May was the first by a Thai player on the LPGA Tour.
Two ahead at the start of the final round, Ariya’s lead was six shots by the time she birdied the the long second and short sixth and she looked to be striding confidently to victory.
After being showered with water and champagne from her friends when she holed the final putt and receiving the first hug from her mum.
Ireland’s Leona Maguire poses with the amateur trophy after day four of the Ricoh Women’s British Open at Woburn Golf Club. With a win she would become the oldest major champion in LPGA history at 46 years, 11 months and 6 days old. “I’m like, ‘Oh, what’s wrong with me.’ But after that, (I was) patient”.
She won her second major, the ANA Inspiration in California, by one stroke in April, was beaten by Brooke Henderson in a playoff at the Women’s PGA Championship in Washington in June and finished in a tie for third at the Women’s US Open in California in July.
Jutanugarn bounced back quickly though with a birdie at the 17th before sealing her victory with a par at the 18th.
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Stacy Lewis shot two under to take fourth with 11 under for the weekend as Karrie Webb, Ha Na Jang and Catriona Matthew were tied for fifth at nine under. An early bogey and Jutanugarn’s quick start saw her lead disappear, but she responded in style: Birdies at 5, 7, 10 and 12 drew her within two of the leader on every occasion.
