Sunday, June 8, 2014

Manulife Financial LPGA Classic Saturday: Shanshan Feng Takes 2-Shot Lead on Inbee Park and Michelle Wie into Final Round

Shanshan Feng made her 1st bogey of the week on moving day at the Manulife Financial LPGA Classic, but it came after 51 holes that she played in -16 and it only reduced a 3-shot lead on Inbee Park and Michelle Wie to 2 shots heading into today's final round.  Park, who lost the top spot in the Rolex Rankings to Stacy Lewis last week, is riding a 51-holes-and-counting bogey-free run of her own, while Wie made 6 birdies and 3 bogeys yesterday to join Park at -13.

But given how vulnerable Grey Silo is to birdies and eagles, today is not likely to just be a 3-player race to the finish.  Cristie Kerr birdied 7 of her last 14 holes on moving day to pull within 3 of Feng, while Lydia Ko matched the low round of the week with a bogey-free 64 that got her to -11, tied with Anna Nordqvist, who had quite the roller-coaster finish, going birdie-bogey-birdie-double-birdie to close out her round.  And with Candie Kung firing a sweet 65 to join Na Yeon Choi, Belen Mozo, and defending champion Hee Young Park (who unfortunately bogeyed 3 holes in a row on the back yesterday after not making a bogey for her 1st 50), there are actually 10 players within 5 shots of the lead.

Plus, with the likes of Suzann Pettersen (-9), So Yeon Ryu (-8), Angela Stanford (-8), Stacy Lewis (-7), and Chella Choi (-7) lurking and no sub-64 rounds yet recorded this week, I wouldn't put it past any of them to get into the mix this afternoon.  And who knows?  Maybe it's time for youngsters Thidapa Suwannapura and Xi Yu Lin or veterans Meena Lee and Jee Young Lee, all of whom are "only" 7 back, to step it up?  Me, I'd love to see good things happen to Danielle Kang (-7), Tiffany Joh (-6), and Morgan Pressel (-5)!

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