JOIN USChristine stumbles on final hole
Christine Wolf had everything going for her till the 18th tee. She had maintained her overnight lead and was still three shots clear from the rest of the field. But then disaster struck.
She twice hit her shots into the water for a quadruple bogey on the par-five hole. And just like that, the lead was gone and the Austrian slipped to three-under in the Hero Women's Indian Open on Saturday.
Becky Morgan, Nicole Broch Larsen and Ellie Givens now share a three-way lead at four-under 212 going into the final day, after an eventful third round finish at the DLF Golf and Country Club.
Christine is one behind the leaders, alongside Felicity Johnson and Manon Mollé at tied-fourth place. The 29-year-old would be haunted by the memories of 2016 when she had frittered away the lead to finish tied 11th here. However, she was quick to brush aside the possibility of pressure, despite scoring five-over in last four holes.
“I don’t think it was pressure. This course takes a lot out of you, so it can happen that your concentration goes. I think I was getting a bit quick on my swings and hit a few fat shots, so it can happen quickly,” said Christine.
“Maybe it was mental tiredness, you have to focus on every shot, maybe it got the better of me. If this had happened yesterday, I would have lost the title, but now I have the chance to get it back.”
The last hole howler from Christine, however, has brought the contest to life with only four shots separating 18 players ahead of the final day.
Meanwhile, Tvesa Malik continued to be the best Indian in the fray. The 22-year-old, playing on her home course, shot one-over 73, closing her round with a birdie on the 18th. Tvesa had begun well to keep her card clean through the first 12 holes, but a poor back-nine undid her good work. She is now even-par 216 for three days and tied-11th with seven others, including Isabelle Boineau (65), who shot the week’s best card of 65.
“It was nice to finish the day with a birdie and left me something to look forward to tomorrow. I need to get a few more birdies and not have three-putts,” Tvesa said.
Of the other Indians, Gaurika Bishnoi (72) endured a round with five birdies and five bogeys to be 1-over for three rounds and was tied-19th with Ridhima Dilawari (71). Vani Kapoor and Astha Madan shot identical cards of two-under 70 each and rose to tied 31st at four-over 220.
Leading scores (after 54 holes): 212: Becky Morgan (Wal, 72, 72, 68), Nicole Larsen (Den, 74, 69, 69), Eleanor Givens (Eng, 71, 71, 70); 213: Felicity Johnson (Eng, 72, 72, 69), Manon Molle (Fra, 72, 70, 71), Christine Wolf (Aut, 68, 68, 77); 214: Olivia Cowan (Ger, 71, 74, 69), Noora Komulainen (Fin, 72, 72, 70), Marianne Skarpnord (Nor, 68, 74, 72); 215: Caroline Hedwall (Swe, 69, 77, 69).