EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France — Brooke Henderson stood over a birdie putt from three ft on the 18th inexperienced, a three-shot lead going into the ultimate spherical of the Evian Championship seemingly at her mercy.
For the primary time on Saturday _ possibly all week, given her dominance of the fourth ladies’s main of the 12 months _ her placing stroke let her down.
Henderson missed it left, to gasps from spectators across the inexperienced at Evian Resort Golf Membership. The Canadian could not consider it. In all probability these hoping to chase her down on Sunday, too.
Looking for her second main title after the Girls’s PGA Championship in 2016, Henderson needed to accept a 3-under 68 within the third spherical and a two-shot lead on 17-under par — two off the 54-hole report for the event.
She remains to be able of energy after opening with two straight 64s, however that missed putt at No. 18 may show pricey.
The closest challengers to Henderson are a former No. 1 and a participant breaking new private floor at a significant.
So Yeon Ryu, a two-time main winner from South Korea, shot 65 after three birdies on her final 4 holes and was alone in second place. The highest-ranked participant in 2017, when she received the ANA Inspiration for her second main, she hasn’t been in competition this deep into considered one of ladies’s golf’s greatest 5 tournaments for 3 years.
Two strokes additional again on 13 beneath was Sophia Schubert, ranked No. 283 and with out a top-50 end in a significant. The American birdied her final 4 holes for a 66 and was in new territory alone in third place in simply her fifth look in a significant.
Olympic champion Nelly Korda began the third spherical in second place, three strokes behind Henderson, however might shoot solely even-par 71 — the worst rating of the present prime 20 on a heat and nonetheless day when only some robust pin placements stored very low scores off playing cards.
Korda was on 11 beneath total, six pictures off the lead and in a five-way tie for sixth with, amongst others, top-ranked Jin Young Ko (67).
Above them in a tie for fourth place, 5 behind Henderson, had been Carlota Ciganda (67) and Sei Young Kim (68).
If the tip to the 2021 event is something to go by, there’s a lot to play for on Sunday.
Minjee Lee made up a seven-shot deficit to third-round chief Lee Jeong-eun within the closing spherical final 12 months and beat her in a playoff.
