The daggers are drawn now! The battle for the lead in the Honda LPGA Thailand 2019 ladies golf tournament went to a nail-biting finishing on the 18th hole on Saturday with two players birdieing the final hole to share the top spot on the leaderboard. 

 

 

 

                              Australia's Minjee Lee dominated the leaderboard

 

South Korean Amy Yang and Australian Minjee Lee both finished the day on 15-under par after three rounds to lead the field into the final day at the Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course on Sunday.

 

World number one Ariya Jutanugarn was the best of the eight-strong Thai contingent during Saturday’s third round, finishing tied in 13th place on 8-under par overall. Ariya had five birdies and one bogey in Saturday’s third round, which was played in hot, steamy conditions with little wind.

 

 

 

                                               Ariya sits on T13 along with sister Moriya

 

Ariya’s four-under round put her in a tie in 13th place with elder sister Moriya, who carded a one-under on Saturday. “I played well in the first nine, and putted well. But on the back nine I was not so good and missed some putts,” she said after finishing her round. “I was in the same group today as [China’s] Muni He and she has a big fan following and all the attention was on her. That was good for me. I need to practice my putting and try to play better tomorrow.”

 

 

The Perth-born Lee knocked in six birdies and had only one bogey for a five-under 67 in her third round, which included a stunning 30-foot downhill putt for birdie on the final hole.

 

 

 

 

“It was really hot out there, probably a little more than yesterday, but the play was moving along so it was okay,” Lee told the media after her round. “I feel I played really solid. In the seven-week break, we worked on my technique and trying to get my swing a little faster. I’m not sure if that really worked – when I got out there today I just found a place I was comfortable and went with that.”

 

 

Joint leader Amy Yang said: “I had a good day out there and I hit a lot of solid shots and made a lot of good putts. I’m a little nervous to be in the lead and I might get nervous out there tomorrow, but I’m just going to be patient and do my best.”  

 

 

Ranked 7th in the LPGA rankings, Lee turned professional in 2014 and represented Australia at the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. She finished 2018 ranked second on the LPGA money list and second in the LPGA scoring averages. 

 

 

The final round starts on Sunday morning and large crowds are expected at the Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course in Chonburi province. With so many of the world’s best women players in top form, the final round promises to be an exciting one. The Thai players, especially world number one Ariya and her sister Moriya, will be hoping the home crowd and the familiar conditions work in their favour during the final round.