WASHINGTON: England’s Charley Hull birdied four of the last eight holes to grab a one-stroke lead over Thailand’s top-ranked Jeeno Thitikul after Saturday’s third round of the LPGA Queen City Championship.
The 29-year-old Briton fired a five-under par 67 to stand on 16-under 200 after 54 holes at TPC River’s Bend in Cincinnati, Ohio.
“I put in some good work when I was home, all the work that I could do and (I) feel relaxed,” Hull said after being home last month. “Just (have to) play like I did the last few days and go out there and have some fun.”
Jeeno fired a 68 to stand second on 201 with Japan’s Chizato Iwai and Miyu Yamashita sharing third on 202 after each shot 66.
Hull has won four times on the Ladies European Tour, most recently at Riyadh last November, and twice on the LPGA Tour, at the 2016 Tour Championship and 2022 Volunteers of America Classic.
This marks the eighth time she has led or shared the lead entering an LPGA final round, with both her tour wins coming from those tournaments.
Hull answered her second bogey of the week, at the par-three fifth, with birdies at the par-three seventh and par-four ninth holes, then added back-to-back birdies at the par-five 11th and par-three 12th, another at 15 and a final birdie at the par-five 18th.
“Just played pretty solid,” Hull said. “Just kept it going out there. Kept playing steady golf and made a nice birdie to finish.”
Hull found 10 of 14 fairways and reached 12 of 18 greens in regulation, making 27 putts on the day.
Jeeno, 22, birdied the third and fourth holes, the par-five eighth and 11th and answered a bogey at 17 with a closing birdie.
“I think I can make a birdie almost all the par-fives that I have,” Jeeno said. “I think I do have a lot of chances to make a birdie, but my putter didn’t come up today.”
World number two Nelly Korda and fellow American Yealimi Noh were in a fifth-place pack on 203 with Mary Liu of China and Bianca Pagdanganan of the Philippines.
A group on 204 included England’s Lottie Woad, Australian Gabriela Ruffels, Germany’s Olivia Cowan, South Korean Kim Sei-young and Sweden’s Maja Stark.
Thailand’s Chanettee Wannasaen, who led after the first and second rounds, fired a 75 to stand on 206.
Defending champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand was on 208 after firing a 69.
England’s Hull leads Jeeno by one at LPGA Queen City event
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England’s Hull leads Jeeno by one at LPGA Queen City event
- The 29-year-old Briton fired a five-under par 67 to stand on 16-under 200 after 54 holes at TPC River’s Bend in Cincinnati, Ohio
Australia crush England by 8 wickets for 2-0 Ashes lead
- Australia are now overwhelming favorites to retain the Ashes with matches in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney to follow
BRISBANE: Australia cruised to an emphatic eight-wicket win over England in the day-night second Ashes Test in Brisbane on Sunday for an ominous 2-0 lead in the series.
Set a paltry target of 65 for victory, Australia captain Steve Smith pulled Gus Atkinson for a huge six over square leg to get the job done in style.
Although not as humiliating as the two-day loss in the first Test at Perth, England were comprehensively outplayed in every department.
Australia are now overwhelming favorites to retain the Ashes with matches in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney to follow.
“Great day. First two days were pretty even, game turned when we were able to extend to get the new ball under lights, that was crucial for us,” said Smith, who clashed verbally with England bowler Jofra Archer as the hosts raced to victory.
“It can be tricky with the pink ball, it changes really quickly and you have to adapt.”
For England it was more misery. Their batting, apart from Joe Root and Zak Crawley in the first innings and captain Ben Stokes and Will Jacks in the second, was just as rash as in Perth.
They gave their wickets away with poor strokes on the bouncy Gabba surface.
They also bowled poorly, pitching too short and wasting the new pink ball, in stark contrast to an Australian attack missing spearheads Pat Cummins and Josh Hazlewood.
To make matters worse England dropped five catches in the first innings, whereas Australia’s fielders caught everything that came their way.
Josh Inglis’s brilliant run-out of Stokes in the first innings changed the course of the match. “Obviously very disappointing,” said Stokes.
“I think a lot of it comes down to not being able to stand up to the pressure of this game, this format, when the game is on the line.”
England were behind the game once they let Australia’s tail help the home side post 511 on Saturday, an overall lead of 177.
They then lost six second-innings wickets under lights to end the third day 134-6, still 43 runs behind the Australian total.
While many expected England to surrender meekly on Sunday, Stokes and all-rounder Jacks led a fighting rearguard action to ensure Australia had to bat a second time.
Stokes and Jacks defied the Australian pace attack on a fiercely hot day to edge their way past the initial deficit target and begin to set Australia something to chase.
England batting coach Marcus Trescothick said Saturday his batsmen would not change their aggressive approach, despite a clatter of wickets from poor shots.
But Stokes and Jacks were patient during the first session Sunday. They left balls they didn’t need to play and seemed happy to take their runs in singles rather than expansive boundary shots.
They scored just 28 runs in the first hour and passed the 43-run deficit 96 minutes into the session, scoring only 59 runs in the two hours.
The Australian bowlers, who ran rampant under lights on Saturday with the pink ball, were far more ineffective on Sunday, despite the wicket beginning to play some tricks.
The English offered only one chance when Scott Boland squared up Stokes, who got a thick edge over the slips cordon.
They continued to frustrate the Australians in the second session until just before the drinks break Jacks got an edge to Michael Neser and Smith snared a breath-taking catch at slip, diving full length to his left and catching it low to the ground.
Neser struck again in the next over when Stokes nibbled at a ball outside the off-stump and got a fine edge to keeper Alex Carey to leave England 227-8, a lead of exactly 50.
