Japanese rookie holds two-shot lead ahead of final round in China as Maguire posts 71
by AFP · The42JAPANESE ROOKIE RIO Takeda shot her third straight three-under-par 69 for a two-stroke lead heading into the final round of the Blue Bay LPGA in China on Saturday.
The 21-year-old carded five birdies against two bogeys on the island of Hainan and is nine-under for the tournament after round three.
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Leona Maguire is 12 shots off the lead after carding a 71 which included two birdies. That puts her in a share of 44th place on three-over.
Three players are tied for second on seven-under — the American duo of Gigi Stoll and Auston Kim, plus Australia’s Cassie Porter.
Four players are a further shot back, among them Australia’s Minjee Lee and Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand.
The 28-year-old had a double bogey on the 14th hole and a bogey on the 15th, only to then reel off three birdies in a row in her round of four-under-par 68.
The 2016 Blue Bay champion Minjee Lee eagled holes eight and 15 in her round of 68 to jump up the leaderboard.