Laura Davies showed that she is a dame with game as she posted a one-over-par 73 in gusty conditions early in the final round of the Ricoh Women’s British Open to claim the clubhouse lead.
Davies fired rounds of 75, 72, 72 and 73 for a total of 292, four-under-par, completing her round as the leading players made the turn in winds gusting 30 miles per hour.
After making her 30th appearance as a professional in the championship, on the course where she won the title 28 years earlier, Davies said: “I’ve played really well all week. The first day I was a bit disappointed because I played better than the score, but certainly getting off to a horrible start yesterday, three over after two and coming back, that was one of the best rounds of the year, even though it was only level par. It was a really good round and conditions were so much tougher with that wind.
“The first two holes, I had 2-iron into the first hole with my second shot, a 3-iron second shot into the second, and that’s par fours, not par fives. It’s normally a different game, but there were a lot of long irons. I had 5-iron into 16 and came up short. You’ve got to hit your long irons well out there today.”
As she finished her round, she was lying in a share of 18th position, however she climbed the leader board as the overnight leader Inbee Park and other contenders were struggling in the windy conditions.
“17 and 18 at the moment are playing cross wind and that’s where everyone is making their scores. If they stay cross wind, it’s not an easy birdie,” Davies explained. “I struggled on 17 from one of the fairway bunkers and struggled for a par. It could improve or it could be worse. If the wind keeps up, which I hope it does, because I’m a nasty person like that, it will be lovely because I need as much money on the money list to keep my card in America. This could be a big week if I can stay in 18thor get better.”
Recently named a dame in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List, Davies is still awaiting the date of the investiture and added: “They send you some dates and you choose a date and you just hope it’s the queen, because it would be lovely to have her putting the medal on and meet her again.”
