Ko, seeking her first U.S. Open title and her third major title.
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Lydia Ko goes looking for her ball on the ninth.
“No, I think the best thing is to not get out of your routines”. “You’re ready. It means a lot to you. It can end up being a little bit of adrenaline”.
Hard work, more than most could imagine, has brought Ko to this point, not that there aren’t some occasional diversions.
Ko has a one-shot lead over 2009 victor Eun Hee Ji and Sung Hyun Park. “But just to be 1-under through 7, I was in a good position”, said Ko. She jumped from a tie for 20th to a tie for fourth.
Ko, the Kiwi and world No 1, struggled off the tee for the majority of the final round at the Corde Valle Golf Club in San Martin, California, and more often than not found herself hitting her second out of the rough.
Nordqvist, who began the day six strokes back, was in superb form on Sunday as she started her round with a pair of birdies on the front nine. She calmly sank the putt and then threw her ball into the stands in celebration. If it’s still tied after three holes, the players will continue in sudden-death format at the 18th hole until someone wins.
In particular, three long putts – hard-breaking 25-footers for birdie on Nos. “I had to save pars, up-and-downs quite a lot, but I saved it. I’m still hitting it good. And for her to win the playoff with a birdie, I think that just kind of summed up her day”. It was a lucky one.
She carded a two-over par 74 to join Ji, who signed for a 70, on 210.
“I have done my best today”, said Park, who’s playing in her first U.S. Women’s Open.
She only managed two birdies – on the par 4 sixth and par 5 15th – in her final round, and blew any chance of winning her third major when she carded three bogeys and a double bogey during a seven-hole funk in the middle of her round.
Lang wasn’t the only American to make a move on Saturday.
While several USA challengers appear to have discovered what it takes to tame CordeValle Golf Club in order to win their national championship, they only have 18 holes to figure out a way to cool the jets of the 19-year-old dynamo Ko. Lopez is at even par for the tournament.
Danny Lee’s had just the one blemish in his third round at the Scottish Open in Inverness to remain firmly in contention. With the weather turning nasty for the final few hours of the third round, this could be good preparation for the third major of the year.
Sharp, meanwhile, has her eyes on a top-10 finish, which would be her best in a major championship. It was a almost flawless round that featured zero bogeys and an eagle on the par-five 15th.
Lydia Ko has got all the shots, on and off the course, from curling in putts to cutting up with reporters, delivered with an ease that belies her age. He won here in 1992.
Wes Short Jr., and Monday qualifier Neal Lancaster also shot 66 and were tied for fourth at 9 under.
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Daly, who turned 50 in April, is making his seventh start on the Champions Tour.
