Jutanugarn not only leads, she has broken clear of the chasing pack and now leads by three over Korean In Gee Chun and Northern Ireland’s Ireland’s Stephanie Meadow with three time victor, Lydia Ko, surrounded, by four Koreans, Hyo Joo Ki, Sei Young Kim, Chella Choi and Mi Jung Hur at 8 under par and four behind Jutanugarn’s lead.
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Jutanugarn won the Women’s British Open before the Olympics to tie with Ko for the LPGA Tour victory lead.
Ariya’s triumph was her fifth in four months after the Thai fired a final round 66 to double her overnight two-stroke advantage and ease to victory at the Priddis Greens course in Calgary.
“After I won my first tournament, I feel like I reached my goal”, she told reporters after her round.
“I think my tee shots were pretty good all week and my irons are getting a lot better in the last week or so”.
Jutanugarn focused on having fun – and did. I really want to play my game and be happy on the course..
That wasn’t the case all that long ago.
Through two days at Priddis Greens, Jutanugran has missed only two fairways.
Jutanugarn rebounded in a big way, breaking through in May with three straight victories in Alabama, Virginia and MI.
Kiwi women’s golf star Lydia Ko was seven shots off the pace on a congested leaderboard with a round to play in the LPGA Tour’s Canadian Open. “After that, I feel like I don’t care what my ranking is going to be”. The 19-year-old New Zealander is No. 1 in the world and has four victories this season. People wanted to see the world No. 3 and a victor of a major this year at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
“I felt way better today and I think feeling the energy from my massive crowds has definitely really helped that”, said Henderson.
“I’m hitting it great, so I’ll just keep that going and just try to make a few more putts”, said Leblanc, a 27-year-old from Sherbrooke, Que. She then rattled off three successive wins.
Kim, a two-time tour victor this year, shot a closing 65 to finish in the top 10 for the sixth time in 2016.
That opening 18 was good for the overnight lead, and the nine-under total put the world No.419 in a tie for second, alongside South Korea’s Chun In-Gee, behind Ariya Jutanugarn.
Meadow’s career-best result came at the 2014 US Open, where she finished third.
Feeling good, Jutanugarn said.
Australia’s Karrie Webb (64) and Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist (68) tied for fifth at 15 under.
“On the back nine, everything went in”, Webb said.
Defending champion and three-time victor Lydia Ko fell back Saturday into a six-way tie for 10th at 10-under.
In just her second year on the LPGA tour, she’s already won four times, including a stretch of three tournament victories in a row in May.
Cambridge will also be a dress rehearsal for the 2017 Canadian Open at Ottawa’s Hunt and Golf Club, where attention on both Ontario golfers will intensify.
“Next year in Ottawa is going to be wonderful”, Henderson said. “It’s only 45 minutes from my house”.
DIVOTS: Japan’s Ayako Uehara had a hole-in-one for the second straight day.
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In her past 10 tee-offs on the LPGA Tour, she has collected five trophies. She finished in style making birdie on 12, 14, 15 and 18.
