Pressel chases Evian Masters win

United States’ Morgan Pressel takes a two-stroke lead into the final round of the LPGA Evian Masters on Sunday. Pressel carded a third round 67 – 5-under par – which included an eagle on the last to regain the lead in the tournament after beginning the day three strokes off the lead after a 72 on Friday.

Pressel had led the tournament after day one with an opening 66.

The young American will now enter Sunday’s final round with a score of 11-under par, two ahead of South Korean duo Jiyai Shin and Jeong Jang. Shin, who was briefly ranked No. 1 following Lorena Ochoa’s retirement this year, had five birdies and a bogey in a round of 68 while Jang shot a 70 which included three birdies and one bogey.

Pressel felt she could have been further ahead but for an error in her club selection on the third hole.

“I got off to a good start: birdied the first hole, made a little bit of a mess on three, more of a mental error than anything,” Pressel said. “I just shouldn’t have hit driver off the tee and made bogey.”

Mika Miyazato, who had held the lead after the second round struggled to a round of 74 to drop back into a tie for 6th place. She fell four strokes behind Pressel after a round marked by five bogeys, including a stretch of three in a row.

Pressel’s compatriot Brittany Lincicome, one of the longest drivers in women’s golf ran up an excellent round of 65 which included six birdies and an eagle on the 16th hole to close within three shots, and tied fourth with Alexis Thompson who shot a round of 67. The pair sit at 8-under par.

“I was hitting the fairways and my putting was working well. It’s one of those days when everything seems to go right for you,” Lincicome said. “I would like to be able to play that way all year, but the problem with golf is that everything changes from one day to the next.”

Gwladys Nocera was one off the lead after two rounds, but the Frenchwoman slipped down the leaderboard with a five-bogey round of 76 to all but end her challenge while defending champion Ai Miyazato had five bogeys and three birdies in her 74 to tie for 39th, ten shots behind Pressel.

Miyazato shares that mark with Michelle Wie who had a better day after her 77 on Friday. After opening with a 68 on day one, Wie struggled on Friday before showing more consistency with a 70 to move to 1 under.