In the last three women’s majors, Lydia Ko has two victories and a playoff loss.
She is the No. 1 player in the world for good reason.
The 19-year-old sensation will have a chance to make if three-of-four on Sunday when she takes a one-shot lead into the final round of the Women’s U.S. Open.
Ko drained a clutch 8-foot birdie putt at CordeValle’s 18th hole Saturday afternoon to shoot 70 that was good for a one-shot advantage over Eun Hee Ji (70) and Sung Hyun Park (74). Park held the overnight lead but found enough trouble off the tee during her round to drop her back into the tie with Ji.
Two Americans also got themselves in the fight. Brittany Lang had the day’s best round, a 68 that she described as simply: “solid golf.”
She is in at five-under par, tied with Amy Yang, who held the 54-hole lead at last year’s U.S. Open.
Angela Stanford’s 71 got her within three of Ko at four-under par.
Ko said the wind played a big factor during the day. “It was really tough out there. Tough to get near the pins. I was putting really well yesterday and good enough today.”
As Ko looked forward to the final round, she reminded everyone that she has good players chasing her but knew what her game plan would be. “All I have to do is just trust my game and enjoy it. I just gotta stay calm.”
Ko said that these majors are giving her great experience. “Every time I play a major I learn something from that,” she said.
What she has learned to do is win and she will go into Sunday’s as the player to beat.
2 Comments
beege
The single thing I like about Ko is the way she carries herself. She walks with authority, confidence and single mindedness. Her ability to not get flustered separates her from all the rest. It is a great quality for a golfer to have.
Tom Edrington
She’s waaaaay too cool to be 19……I could really play when I was young but at times I was so veeeeery impatient…..this young lady’s mental game is incredible, she’s not going to overwhelm you with any power off the tee, she simply doesn’t make any mistakes, wears you out, kinda like Nicklaus did very often, he’d let everyone else implode and there he was, winning another major.