A 3-way tie is heading into the ultimate day of the U.S. Girls’s Open at Lancaster Nation Membership in Pennsylvania.
Minjee Lee, Andrea Lee and Wichanee Meechai sit at 5-under via 54 holes.
Minjee Lee tied for the bottom spherical of the day as she shot a 4-under 66 on Saturday and was one in all 13 gamers to shoot underneath par on Day 3.
The 2022 U.S. Girls’s Open winner leads the sector in strokes gained method, selecting up 3.8 photographs.
After six straight pars, Minjee Lee made an unbelievable eagle on the par-5 seventh to spice up her momentum. She added two extra birdies at 11 and 12 earlier than she made a bogey at 14. Lee made her last birdie on the par-4 sixteenth to offer her a 66.
“I simply tried to stay to my recreation plan, tried to make birdies,” Minjee Lee mentioned. “I needed an excellent rating on spherical 3, transferring day. I knew there have been going to be some alternatives with among the tees up for birdies, so yeah, just about I simply tried to take it step-by-step as you do as a U.S. Open and simply stayed within the second.”
Among the many three leaders, Lee is the one former U.S. Girls’s Open winner. She is aware of what sort of strain awaits her on Sunday. Lancaster Nation Membership has given the ladies a correct problem this week, which raises the query of how robust the ultimate spherical might be.
“Perhaps a shootout, relying on how the course is ready up tomorrow,” she mentioned. “I’m positive they’re going to make it slightly bit more durable than immediately. However trying ahead to the problem and searching ahead to tomorrow.”
Lee defined that her prep for tomorrow can be minimal, and he or she would go for a laid-back night.
“I don’t actually overthink an excessive amount of, and I’ve accomplished it for fairly some time now,” Lee mentioned. “I’ve one U.S. Open underneath my belt. I’ll perhaps watch some TV, perhaps learn slightly.”
Andrea Lee carded a 3-under 67 on Saturday, whereas Meechai settled for a 1-under 69.
Each women are eying their first main championship. Andrea’s greatest end on the U.S. Girls’s Open got here in 2022 when she was T15; for Meechai, she completed T30 in 2021.
“It’s an unbelievable feeling. It’s one thing that I’ve all the time dreamed of, vying for main championship wins,” Andrea Lee mentioned.
She additionally acquired a particular message from Michelle Wie West, who gave her some recommendation.
“She instructed me simply regardless of the end result is, simply put your one hundred pc effort into it,” Andrea Lee mentioned. “It doesn’t matter what occurs it’s a privilege to be on this second, to have this chance. I actually took that to coronary heart. I attempted to have enjoyable on the market and simply play the golf course and never attempt to play in opposition to the sector — simply me and the golf course.”
Andrea Lee and Minjee Lee will play within the last group at 2:15 p.m. ET. Meechai is paired with Hinako Shibuno. They are going to play within the second to final group at 2:04 p.m. ET.
Will Minjee win her third main, or will Andrea or Meechai earn her first main?
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying Via. For extra golf protection, be sure you observe us @_PlayingThrough on all main social platforms. It’s also possible to observe her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.