Japanese Ai Miyazato grabs lead at Hawaii
Ai Miyazato seized a 3-shot lead in the third round of the LPGA Lotte Championship after she carded a 2-under 70 in blustery weather conditions at Ko Olina Golf Club, Hawaii.
Miyazato, who belongs to Japan, was also dominant in the second round, as she shared a lead with Spanish Munoz.
She posted a decent 8-under 65 on the second day, offsetting the loss she suffered in the first round.
The j*p kicked off the third round with a more solid plan, as she drained 4 birdies. However, she faltered on two holes, registering bogeys.
Analysts said that despite difficult weather conditions at the Hawaii, Miyazato performed better than her rivals, as she did not appear to be under pressure.
She parred the first four holes and went for a birdie on the par-5 5th hole. On the front nine, Miyazato was able to score just one birdie. However, she ramped up pressure on other contenders on the back nine.
She reeled off her second birdie on the par-4 11th. On the 12th, the world number eight golfer seemed to lose momentum, as she recorded a bogey. However, she atoned for it on the very next hole, with her third birdie.
Speaking at the end of the third round, Miyazato said that she faced some trouble judging the ball, as strong winds whipped through the course.
Blustery weather conditions at Hawaii troubled several players in the field. However, officials said that the wind benefitted some players, which reflects that the overall weather conditions were not as unfavourable as some analysts have been saying.
Miyazato said that despite finding it hard to make calculated putts, she did fine on most of the holes.
When asked about her strategy to stay on top of the leaderboard, the thrilled star said that she did not let her nerve overcome her game. "But it's still tough to play out there," she said. "I said to myself to just stay focused".
Cristie Kerr, who currently ranks 4th in the world rankings, managed to grab the second spot. Kerr posted a 71 in the third round, which helped her jump one spot from the second round.
"I think I played pretty solid," she said. "I had some putts on the front that I misread. I thought it played a little tougher today where the pins were and the way the wind was a little different angle and a little stronger".
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