Birthday surprise as Park leads
KOREA’S Inbee Park celebrated her 26th birthday by grabbing the lead at the Ricoh Women’s British Open yesterday – but only after Sun-Ju Ahn was penalised two shots on the 18th hole at Royal Birkdale.
Ahn was playing her third shot from a greenside bunker when television crews reported that she had used her feet to move sand down the side of the bunker, effectively ‘building a stance’in violation of rule 13-3.
That meant a par-5 became a double-bogey seven for a round of 71 which left Ahn alongside Suzann Pettersen and Shanshan Feng on three under par – one behind Park.
“It’s disappointing, but it’s my mistake,” Ahn said.“I still have a day to go and I have to stay focused and try my best tomorrow.
“I didn’t know about the rule but all I was trying to do was make a stance. I’m surprised by it, but if that’s the rule, I just have to abide by it and refocus.
“My intent wasn’t to break the rules. It was just to set my feet firm in the sand just to be able to make the shot. But if that’s the rule, there was no intent and I can’t do anything about it.”
Park, who won the first three Majors of 2013, carded a 68 and said:“The first two days I didn’t hit the shots well enough to get the results I wanted but today, my ballstriking was great and I didn’t miss any greens. I am in a great position for tomorrow.”
Amelia Lewis and Julieta Granada share fifth place on two-underpar, with a further seven players, including England’s Charley Hull and defending champion Stacy Lewis, a stroke further behind in a tie for seventh place.
Hull’s 66 was the best score of the day by two shots and included nine birdies, the 18-year-old bouncing back from a double-bogey seven on the 18th on Friday after hitting her drive out of bounds.
COLIN MONTGOMERIE goes into today’s final round of the US Senior Open four shots back of leader Gene Sauers.
Montgomerie’s three-over-par 74 was his worst round of the week and sees him on a 54-hole three-under total of 210, that leaves him lying in fourth spot.