Ireland’s Áine Donegan made a fast finish to her third round at the PIF London Championship with four consecutive birdies to catapult her into third place, but did not manage to make a dent on high-flying Canadian Anna Huang’s lead at Centurion Club.
The Lahinch golfer was having a mixed day until the 14th hole in London, with three birdies and three bogeys, before exploding into life on the 15, birdieing her way home for a four-under-par 69 for 11-under-par for the Ladies European Tour tournament, which has a $2 million prize fund.
Donegan has a best finish of tied-16th in the Ford New South Wales Open so far in her maiden season on the LET, where she is currently 86th on the order of merit.
“It was good. I started off really solid the first six holes or so and had a little not great swing on seven which caused my first bogey,” said Donegan. “I was unlucky with my second shot on eight; I went long and didn’t hit a good first putt and pulled my second putt.
READ MORE
“I made a really good 10-footer on nine for par which looking back, I hit a really poor wedge shot and then that probably spurred us on a little bit for the back nine. We could have easily played a really good front nine and been one-over. That was a big putt on nine.
“It’s very rare you have a round of golf that doesn’t have a squeaky point in the middle. I knew I would probably get through that and then Harry [Ewing, her caddie] kept me sane out there as well.
“We had really good communication again today and he said to me on 14, I want three birdies coming in now and then I birdied 15, 16 and 17. Walking to 18, I said when you asked for three, I wanted four. It was a nice way to finish, and I probably deserved a little bit of that.”
Huang, just 17 years old but a three-time winner on tour, shot a bogey-free 65 which included six birdies and an eagle to reach 19 under, with Charley Hull three shots behind on 16 under after a 67 on day three.
Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit and Wales’ Lydia Hall are on 10 under, with Australia’s Kelsey Bennett on nine under. Anna Foster is tied-32nd on one over.
