BELLEAIR, Fla. (AP) — Lindy Duncan made 17 pars in a bogey-free round, just the way she planned it on a cold, blustery Saturday at The Annika, and wound up with a 1-under 69 and a one-shot lead with a chance to finally win on the LPGA Tour.
The final act was 50-foot putt over a green that looked more like bunny slopes, three ridges to cover. Duncan nearly holed it and then rapped in a 3-footer for a par to polish off a clean card.
“Today was a really
tough day with the wind,” Duncan said. “The greens firm up, so I was really just trying to hit the ball in spots where you could at least hit the green or have a reasonable chip.”
Hye-Jin Choi was tied for the lead until she missed the 18th green to the left and did well to get down in three for a bogey and a 70.
Duncan, who made her debut at Solheim Cup at age 35 and is making her 222nd career start on the LPGA Tour without winning, was at 13-under 197. Her lone birdie was a 7-iron to 18 feet on No. 12.
Greens are the defense at Pelican Golf Club, and some of the pins were in their toughest positions. Carlota Ciganda, who shared the 54-hole lead with Choi and Duncan, three-putted five times, including the 18th.
That was a big help to Duncan, who was roughly on the same line as Ciganda.
“I also thought she hit it a lot harder and it didn't go that far past, so I definitely think seeing her putt helped make mine a little easier,” Duncan said. “For that one to kind of skim the edge was pretty cool.”
The 18th took a toll on just about everyone, playing all the way back into the wind. Duncan, with a more forward tee and left pin, hit 8-iron in the opening round of low scoring. On Saturday, she hit 5-wood from 192 yards and wasn't sure it would clear the water.
Minami Katsu put two in the water and finished her round of 75 with a triple bogey. Nelly Korda three-putted down the ridge for a bogey that gave her a 71 and left her six shots behind. Korda can qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame with a victory.
She wasn't at her best on Saturday. Korda took a double bogey on the sixth hole by going over the green into the pine straw, chipping over a ridge and down a ridge and off the green and taking three to get down from there. On the par-5 seventh, she was so far to the right she chose to aim toward the tee box on No. 4. It was good as any shot she hit all day, the shot landing on the tee.
Duncan has one more day of dry weather and firmer greens to get her first win, and plenty of players lined up behind her.
Yuri Yoshida, who won her first LPGA title during the recent Asia swing, played alongside Korda and had a 67, leaving her two shots back. Ina Yoon of South Korea (69) was three behind and double major winner Haeran Ryo went from eight shots behind to four back with a Saturday-low 65.
Two players, Solheim Cup player Mimi Rhodes and Brianna Do, failed to break 80.
Along with trying to win, Duncan still is not eligible for the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship next week, where the winner of the top 60 players who qualify gets $2 million. A strong finish, even without winning, gets her there.
Choi has no such concerns about the season finale. She just wants to win, and two runner-up finishes during the Asia swing helps her confidence. Choi also has shown some resilience from bad starts — three bogeys in the opening five holes, and she again stayed in the game.
“I'm just going to try to concentrate to the end,” Choi said.
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