The Renaissance Club has put up a fight this week, with consistency and patience the name of the game. For Jennifer Song, it only took a third-round 70 to keep her in contention heading into the last day of the ASI Ladies Scottish Open. Song said she likes rising to the challenge of links golf and is lying in wait to take advantage of chasing the lead in tomorrow’s final grouping with Stacy Lewis and Azahara Munoz.
“I'm really happy to be where I am. I like chasing from the back. I'm going to go out there and play some great golf tomorrow,” said Song, who sits at -5, just two strokes back of leader Munoz. “I'm a competitor, and I feel like I play my game better chasing from behind. Just give them the pressure and I'll just play my own game.”
Song had to clear her head on the back nine after a rocky start to her round with two bogeys in her first eight holes. But she felt she found the same game she’s had going the last two days as she closed with three birdies total on the day. “I think patience is a big key in the final round, knowing when to be aggressive and knowing when to be conservative is the right play out here,” said Song. “I've been doing the right thing the last three rounds, so I think as long as I do the same thing and just keep being myself and be confident out there, I think I'm going to play some great golf.”
CHEYENNE KNIGHT FINDING HER GROOVE AMONG THE LINKS
Cheyenne Knight first played golf in Scotland on a trip with her father when she was 13, visiting historic courses like St Andrews, Turnberry, Kingsbarns and Western Gailes. Though out of her comfort zone, she continues to remember the experience fondly at the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open, where she only trails the lead by three at -4.
“I haven't played a lot of links golf, but I do love the challenge and love how creative you have to be, and when it's tough – I like it when it plays hard but you just have to embrace it,” said Knight, who recorded four birdies and finished with a third-round 69. “When I've been out of position, I just want to give myself a putt at par and just take bogey if I have to, because I feel like on this golf course, you're going to make bogeys but you also get some birdie opportunities.”
Knight said she glanced at the leaderboard throughout her round to see where she stood among the field, especially coming down the stretch on Nos. 17 and 18. She’ll try to make up ground on Sunday en route to a second LPGA Tour win, but knows there’s still a tough 18 holes in front of her. “I think I'm just going to go about it like I would any other day, just treat it the same. Just try to do my best. That's all I can do,” said Knight. “I may glance at a leaderboard every now and again, but I think even par, a few under goes a long way, especially on this golf course, one shot at a time.”