MINJEE LEE LOOKING TO BE MORE AGGRESSIVE HEADING INTO SUNDAY
Looking to make a move on top of the leaderboard, Minjee Lee carded a 4-under, 68 to finish tied for second after the third round. Lee was solid throughout her round making five birdies and only one bogey on the day.
“I mean, actually quite a lot of holes we hit wedges in,” Lee explained. “So if you take advantage of that, you can definitely capitalize on those holes, and then the par 5s, some of them are reachable, so they are also available, so yeah I think it’s definitely a course you can have a low number on.”
The two-time LPGA winner noted that it was easier to play throughout the day because the winds were calm.
“I think it was playing a little easier than yesterday morning when I played,” Lee said. “The wind was a little and we got the occasional gust, but other than that it was easier today.”
Lee said that her strategy for the final round is to be more aggressive with her shots in order to pass Ariya Jutanugarn.
“I might by the end of the day, but I don’t have a number right now,” Lee said. “I know Ariya is leading by a couple of shots, so I guess I don’t have much to lose and I can be pretty aggressive.”
STACY LEWIS FINDING HER GAME
With her 4-under 68 round on Saturday, Stacy Lewis moved into a tie for fourth and is looking to capitalize during the final round on Sunday. Lewis posted five birdies and one bogey throughout the day and looks to be in perfect shape heading in to Sunday.
“I definitely feel like I’m rolling it good enough,” Lewis said. “If I can just get some more shots on the right side of the hole then a low number is out there. Especially with the wind down, you can be a little bit more aggressive.”
Back in 2012, Lewis won in Prattville with 18-under, 270. Heading into the final round, she is currently 9-under, 207 through three rounds. Lewis said that the past couple of years have been rough but she feels that she is putting her game all together.
“I haven’t played the way I usually do and haven’t played with a lot of confidence and it’s coming,” Lewis said. “Made about a 20 footer last week to make the cut and started to pull some shots off even this week. It’s getting closer and now it’s just putting it all together.”
EPSON TOUR WIN GIVES BRITTANY ALTOMARE CONFIDENCE ON LPGA TOUR
Brittany Altomare won the Guardian Retirement Championship at Sara Bay on the Epson Tour two weeks ago and has now found herself in the mix going into the final round at the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.
“It was a huge confidence booster,” Altomare said. “I never have won as a professional, and, I mean, especially in a playoff, kinda just to test your nerves, and to know that you can overcome some things. It was a great confidence booster.”
The win came at the perfect time as Altomare was about to be reshuffled on the LPGA Tour priority list.
“I had conditional status, and I qualified into the Bahamas and finished 21st that week, and then the reshuffle happened after Hawaii, and I made enough money where I shuffled up, and I think I will be able to play in everything from now on,” Altomare explained.
The Virginia grad started her day on fire sitting at 7-under through 11 holes before nerves hit.
“I was kind of hitting it good, so most of the putts I made were inside 10 feet, except for one of them on the third hole, I think, was a pretty long putt,” Altomare said. “Then, I don’t know, I made the 10 and 11. On 11, I kind of hit it a little hard, but it was just right in the center and then started to get a little nervous. Nerves kinda got to me the next two, but I calmed myself down.”
Altomare sits in a tie for seventh going into the final round.
“I don’t know,” Altomare said of how she’ll feel heading into the final round. “Actually I’ve never been in this position on the LPGA, but, I mean, it’s just the same, I think, just go out there and be aggressive and hopefully it’s your day.”
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