American teenager Lexi Thompson still has her nose in front at the Dubai Ladies Masters with a round to go.
Sixteen-year-old one clear after third round 70 in Dubai
American teenager Lexi Thompson still leads the Dubai Ladies Masters but her advantage has been cut to just one shot going into Saturday's final round.
The 16-year-old kept her nose in front with a birdie at the last as she signed for a two-under 70 at the Majlis course of Emirates Golf Club.
That gave her a 54-hole total of 10-under par 206 - one stroke better than four-time LET Order of Merit winner Sophie Gustafson, who cut Thompson's two-shot deficit in half with a three-under 69.
"I hit it pretty well. I just left a few putts out there, but you know, a lot of girls are in contention, so it's going to be a great day," said Thompson.
A bit nervous
"Sure, I will be a bit nervous tomorrow...who won't be? But hopefully, I will keep my focus, take it one hole at a time and win this. If I do, it will be very cool."
Gustafon, 38, feels she has a good chance of reeling in her young opponent.
"Obviously, Alexis is going to be hard to beat, but I think if I can keep playing well, then I think I have a good chance," said the long-hitting Swede.
"I think the only way she does remind me of myself is her power. I wasn't anywhere close to being as accurate as she is when I was 16."
Thompson will be wearing her lucky final-round colour of blue on Saturday, having won in the same outfit at the Navistar Classic in September, when she was the youngest ever winner on the LPGA, lowering the all-time record by two years.
Should she win in Dubai, she would be the second youngest winner on the Ladies European Tour after South Korean Amy Yang, who won the ANZ Ladies Masters in Australia as a 16-year-old amateur. But Thompson would be the youngest professional winner and allowed to collect the 75,000 Euro first prize.
South African Lee-Anne Pace, the reigning Order of Merit champion, shot the day's best round of five-under par 67 to move up to tied third place along with Sweden's Pernilla Lindberg.
American Michelle Wie ended the day five shots off the lead in eighth on five under.
Wie dropped a shot early on at the second but recovered with three birdies against a bogey on the back nine. She said: "Today was pretty frustrating. You know, but at least I made birdie on the last hole, made me feel good about myself, but tomorrow I just gotta go out there and really shoot low."
