Iben Tinning and Melissa Reid tied for the lead after round three of the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters promoted and organised by ‘golf in Dubai’ on Friday.
Tinning, starting the day two shots off the pace, fired a 69 while England’s Reid, who trailed by three strokes, carded a tidy 68 to go eight-under for the tournament on 208, one shot ahead of Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist and Lydia Hall, the overnight leader from Wales.
Denmark’s top female golfer Tinning mixed four birdies with a bogey (on the eighth) to keep alive her hopes of ending her great career with a flourish while Reid posted a birdie-birdie finish to join Tinning at the top of the leaderboard.
Sweden’s Louise Stahle, who holds the Majlis course record of 64 she shot in 2007, matched the day’s best score of 68 to join America’s Christina Kim at fifth place on a five-under-par 213. Kim closed with a level-par 72.
Overnight leader Hall endured a frustrating front nine where she dropped three shots, including a double-bogey on the second, but lit up the back nine with four birdies to stay within striking range of the leaders.
Meanwhile, the tournament’s top-draw Michelle Wie slipped down to tied 17th on a level-par 216 after making a double-bogey finish in her third-round 73.
Defending champion In-Kyung Kim followed her 69, 75 with a disappointing 73 to share the 12th place with three others.
Tinning, who had broken 70 for the second day on the trot, attributed the streak to her talent. “I am not going for everything. I am not trying to play stupid golf. I am only attacking the holes I should attack. I was really nervous playing the first few holes, but I am happy to finish off with a birdie, par, par. I had a good birdie on the 16th and a great par on the 15th.”
Melissa Reid was also pleased with her efforts. “A 68 is my best round in Dubai. It was a great feeling to finish with a birdie-birdie,” said Reid, the winner of the Turkish Airlines Open.
“I hit really well on the driving range and got my rhythm going. I was a bit unlucky on the ninth. I thought I hit a good shot, but it went into water,” said who was placed third on the Henderson Money List with euro 235,871 in earnings from 20 events before the start of this season-ending Ladies European Tour event.
“A victory here would be a nice Christmas present, but there are 18 more holes to play – a long way to go. But I have put myself in a good position. Another 68 in the final round would be really nice.”
Sweden’s Nordqvist needed to fight hard for her 71. “I didn’t hit my irons well, but hung in there with a good short game. I had a good chance of making a birdie on the 18th, but couldn’t drop the ball in despite hitting a good putt.
“I have nothing to lose. I will go out there and fire at it.”
Third round scores:
208 - Melissa Reid (ENG) 70 70 68, Iben Tinning (DEN) 70 69 69
209 - Anna Nordqvist (SWE) 70 68 71, Lydia Hall (WAL) 70 67 72
213 - Louise Stahle (SWE) 73 72 68, Christina Kim (USA) 73 68 72
214 - Rebecca Flood (AUS) 73 72 69, Stefanie Michl (AUT) 71 73 70, Florentyna Parker (ENG) 67 75 72, Maria Hernandez (ESP) 70 72 72, Marianne Skarpnord (NOR) 69 71 74
215 - Caroline Masson (GER) 75 69 71, In Kyung Kim (KOR) 69 75 71, Julieta Granada (PAR) 69 74 72, Felicity Johnson (ENG) 70 73 72, Gwladys Nocera (FRA) 73 69 73
216 - Emma Cabrera-Bello (ESP) 71 73 72, Michelle Wie (USA) 71 72 73, Morgana Robbertze (SA) 69 72 75, Carling Coffing (USA) 70 71 75
217 - Georgina Simpson (ENG) 74 71 72, Becky Morgan (WAL) 74 71 72, Kym Larratt (ENG) 70 72 75, Tandi Cuningham (SA) 72 70 75
218 - Cassandra Kirkland (FRA) 71 77 70, Julie Greciet (FRA) 70 73 75, Bo-Mi Suh (KOR) 69 73 76, Maria Verchenova (RUS) 68 72 78
219 - Frances Bondad (AUS) 78 70 71, Laura Davies (ENG) 75 73 71, Alexi Thompson (USA) 73 74 72, Tania Elosegui (ESP) 71 75 73, Lee-Anne Pace (SA) 73 72 74
220 - Kristie Smith (AUS) 74 74 72, Carin Koch (SWE) 73 74 73, Linda Wessberg (SWE) 74 72 74, Stacy Lee Bregman (SA) 72 74 74, Sophie Giquel-Bettan (FRA) 73 72 75, Elena Giraud (FRA) 73 71 76
221 - Emelie Lind (SWE) 75 72 74, Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA) 70 76 75, Lorie Kane (CAN) 72 73 76
222 - Veronica Zorzi (ITA) 70 77 75, Martina Gillen (IRE) 76 70 76, Sophie Walker (ENG) 75 71 76, Julie Tvede (DEN) 75 70 77, Pamela Feggans (SCO) 71 74 77, Carlota Ciganda (Am) (ESP) 73 71 78
223 - Elizabeth Bennett (ENG) 74 75 74, Marta Prieto (ESP) 76 73 74, Caroline Afonso (FRA) 70 76 77
224 - Lynn Kenny (SCO) 76 73 75, Diana Luna (ITA) 71 78 75, Margherita Rigon (ITA) 74 75 75
225 - Jenni Kuosa (FIN) 73 75 77
226 - Krystle Caithness (SCO) 75 74 77, Virginie Lagoutte-Clement (FRA) 74 75 77, Anja Monke (GER) 74 73 79, Caroline Rominger (SWI) 73 73 80
227 - Rebecca Hudson (ENG) 71 78 78
228 - Julie Maisongrosse (FRA) 77 72 79
229 - Karin Borjeskog (SWE) 76 73 80
Saturday’s final round draw:
7:30am Karin Borjeskog (SWE) and Julie Maisongrosse (FRA)
7:39 Rebecca Hudson (ENG) &Caroline Rominger (SWI)
7:48 Anja Monke (GER) and Virginie Lagoutte-Clement (FRA)
7:57 Krystle Caithness (SCO) & Jenni Kuosa (FIN)
8:06 Margherita Rigon (ITA) & Diana Luna (ITA)
8:15 Lynn Kenny (SCO) & Caroline Afonso (FRA)
8:24 Marta Prieto (ESP) & Elizabeth Bennett (ENG)
8:38 Carlota Ciganda (Am) (ESP) & Pamela Feggans (SCO)
8:47 Julie Tvede (DEN) & Sophie Walker (ENG)
8:56 Martina Gillen (IRE) & Veronica Zorzi (ITA)
9:05 Lorie Kane (CAN) & Anne-Lise Caudal (FRA)
9:14 Emelie Lind (SWE) & Elena Giraud (FRA)
9:23 Sophie Giquel-Bettan (FRA) & Stacy Lee Bregman (SA)
9:32 Linda Wessberg (SWE) & Carin Koch (SWE)
9:44 Kristie Smith (AUS) & Lee-Anne Pace (SA)
9:53 Tania Elosegui (ESP) & Alexi Thompson (USA)
10:02 Laura Davies (ENG) & Frances Bondad (AUS)
10:11 Maria Verchenova (RUS) & Bo-Mi Suh (KOR)
10:20 Julie Greciet (FRA) & Cassandra Kirkland (FRA)
10:29 Tandi Cuningham (SA) & Kym Larratt (ENG)
10:38 Becky Morgan (WAL) & Georgina Simpson (ENG)
10:52 Carling Coffing (USA) & Morgana Robbertze (SA)
11:01 Michelle Wie (USA) & Emma Cabrera-Bello (ESP)
11:10 Gwladys Nocera (FRA) & Felicity Johnson (ENG)
11:19 Julieta Granada (PAR) & In Kyung Kim (KOR)
11:28 Caroline Masson (GER) & Marianne Skarpnord (NOR)
11:37 Maria Hernandez (ESP) & Florentyna Parker (ENG)
11:51 Stefanie Michl (AUT) & Rebecca Flood (AUS)
12:00 Christina Kim (USA) & Louise Stahle (SWE)
12:09 Lydia Hall (WAL) & Anna Nordqvist (SWE)
12:18 Iben Tinning (DEN) & Melissa Reid (ENG)
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