The stage is set for a final day shootout at the Ladies Scottish Open as Spain’s Azahara Munoz rolled home from 20ft for birdie on the 18th hole at Renaissance Golf Club to take a one-shot lead over American Stacy Lewis.
Munoz, a five-time LET winner, looks to be enjoying herself out on the East Lothian Links and seems to have relished the time off to re-charge and prepare for two major weeks on the LET schedule. She will be paired in the final group again tomorrow alongside Stacy Lewis and Jennifer Song. Lewis, who is in search of her first victory since 2017, has been on a run of good form and was resolute about her game plan today.
Lewis said: “I think you’s take under par on this golf course any day. The course has a major feel to it, and I think that’s what’s given us this great leaderboard, with the best players rising to the top.”
The competition certainly looks set to be fierce on Sunday, with no fewer than four major champions in the top 11, and all the top five are worldwide tournament winners. Lydia Ko is one of those in the chasing pack, as the 20-time worldwide winner and five-time LET champion, who is looking to seal her first LET victory since 2016, is only two shots adrift in fourth after a bogey-free 67 on Saturday.
Making her third appearance since 2017, this is the first time that Ko has made it to the weekend in Scotland and puts her performance down to making fewer mistakes. “I made less bogeys. In Gullane, I only made two birdies all week, two birdies at Dundonald and there really hasn’t been a huge birdie difference here, but just more pars. I have been taking my medicine more and finding another way to make par or a save from there.”
Danielle Kang, the highest ranked player in the field, kept her chances of winning three tournaments in a row alive with a two-under-par 69 to sit five shots off the lead. Precisely the same amount she was behind with six holes left last week when she turned to her caddie, Ollie Brett, for inspiration which gave her hope. Kang said: “I’ve chipped in more times that I’ve made 15-foot putts this week, I should have figured the greens out by now, so let’s see what happens tomorrow.”