Henderson slips to second at tourney
Canadian one shot off pace heading to final round
Lexi Thompson shot a 64 on Saturday on the Blythefield layout reduced to a par of 69 because of flooding, giving her a one-stroke lead in the Meijer LPGA Classic.
The fifth hole was played as a 111-yard par 3 instead of a par 5 because of the flooding from overnight rain.
Coming off a playoff loss to Ariya Jutanugarn last week at the Manulife LPGA Classic in Canada, Thompson had six birdies — four on the back nine — and a bogey to reach 15-under 196.
“It was just a matter of staying patient,” Thompson said.
“I knew I was hitting it well on the front nine, I just wasn’t making the birdies. But I hit it well all day, so it was all a matter of hitting the shots closer and I guess just taking advantage of like No. 11, reaching that one in two, and making a few putts for birdie.” Her only bogey was on the par-4 seventh. “It was just a stupid club coming in,” she said. “I should have just played short of the green, that’s where you have to miss it, and I hit it long. Just a bad miss, stupid mistake.”
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., the leader after each of the first two rounds, had a 67 to drop into a tie for second at 14-under with Lee-Anne Pace (61), Sung Hyun Park (62) and Jenny Shin (63). Henderson birdied Nos. 12 and 13 and closed with five pars.
“I made that long one from off the green on 12 that wasn’t really expected and that kind of gave me some energy,” the 19-yearold Canadian said. Pace had two eagles and five birdies. “My irons were really good,” the South African player said. “Obviously, all the par 3s, that helps. I was looking at birdie almost every hole, which is quite nice. I was never really in trouble except on 10, I missed the drive left, but that was really the only thing. There were a couple of long putts I made, unexpected putts actually. ”
Shin made a long putt on No. 14 for her fifth straight birdie. But on 17, she pushed her approach shot and wound up on the bottom of the green, and took her only bogey of the round.
Hyo Joo Kim (65) was at 12-under, while Lydia Ko (64), Michelle Wie (64), Moriya Jutanugarn (67) and Carlota Ciganda (68) followed at 11-under.
Ko dropped to No. 2 in the world Monday after an 85-week run at the top. The topranked Ariya Jutanugarn, Moriya Jutanugarn’s younger sister, was 9-under after a 64.