NAPLES, Fla. — So Yeon Ryu was rarely so nervous, with so many great players all around her.
She was in high heels, not golf shoes. She was giving a speech as the LPGA rookie of the year, not competing at the Titleholders. Compared with standing before a room full of stars under bright lights, playing golf Saturday while trying to stay close to Na Yeon Choi and Ai Miyazato seemed easy.
“I was pretty nervous to prepare the speech," Ryu said about the Friday night awards dinner. “After speech, I was so much relieved, and I slept so well because I don’t have to worry about speech thing. So maybe that’s why I’m playing great."
She wasn’t alone in that regard.
Choi overcame a careless three-putt on the third hole and was steady the rest of the blustery day at The TwinEagles Club. She drilled a hybrid 5-wood to 15 feet for one last birdie on the par-3 17th for a 3-under 69 that gave her a one-shot lead over Miyazato.
Miyazato took two chips to get onto the green and made double bogey on the par-5 second, and then laid up into a bunker on the par-5 fifth to make bogey and fall behind. She rallied with four birdies on the back nine to salvage a 71, and stay in the game.
Right behind was Ryu, so relieved from the Friday night stress that she ran off four straight birdies on the front nine before she slowed on the back. Maybe there was a reason for that, too. The 22-year-old South Korean says her lower back tightened at the turn, which she said might have been caused by wearing high heels to the dinner.
“I’m not really big high-heel fan," she said. “Yesterday was a special day, so that’s why I took a high heel. I think it looks pretty great."
What feels just as good is being in the final group with Miyazato, one of the friendliest players in golf, and Choi, whom Ryu regards somewhat of a big sister. The South Koreans are good friends, and they happen to be the past two U.S. Women’s Open champions.
“We know each other very well, so I can talk about non-golf, just like ‘What are you doing in the winter?’ or something like that," Choi said. “So I think that’s going to be a help for focusing on the game. I think it’s good to be rivals for each other. Even during the tournament, if she has birdie, I feel I can have birdie, too. I think it motivates each other, so it should be fun tomorrow."
Choi was at 12-under 204.
There were plenty of mistakes early — Miyazato giving up her 36-hole lead with a double bogey on No. 2, Choi three-putting on No. 3, Brittany Lincicome missing a 3-foot par putt and then hitting a fat chip that rolled back to her feet for another bogey.
Karrie Webb made her mistake later, but it was costly, and it included so many drops around the green that it’s a wonder she didn’t run out of tees.
The Australian star pulled her approach on the 18th to the left, and the ball bounced down a walkway and under a table. She had to stick four tees in the ground to get relief twice, from a picket fence and the corner of a grandstand. Her chip went through the green and next to the grandstand, leading to another free drop. Her next chip came out heavy and rolled back against the grandstand, and a third drop. Webb had to hole a 15-foot putt for double bogey, dropped her back to a 71, five shots behind.
Lincicome overcame her consecutive bogeys for a 70 and was at 9-under 207 with Karine Icher, who also had a 70.
Also on Saturday:
Jiminez leads in Hong Kong
HONG KONG — Spain’s Miguel Angel Jimenez shot a 2-under 68 for a share of the Hong Kong Open lead with New Zealand’s Michael Campbell. Campbell had a 69 to match the 48-year-old Jimenez, the 2005 and 2008 winner, at 10 under.
Poulter tops field in Australia
MELBOURNE, Australia — Defending champion Ian Poulter shot an 8-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead over Adam Scott after the third round of the Australian Masters.
Stenson holds lead in South Africa
JOHANNESBURG — Sweden’s Henrik Stenson closed in on his first European Tour victory in three years, shooting a 3-under 69 to take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the South African Open.
Streb in front at Pebble
PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Robert Streb shot a 3-under 69 in rainy conditions at Del Monte to take a one-stroke lead over Billy Horschel after the third round in the Pebble Beach Invitational.
