AUGUSTA, Ga. – All of it comes right down to as we speak throughout the competitors on the Augusta Nationwide Girls’s Novice.

After the primary and second rounds at Champions Retreat in Columbia County, the rivals performed a follow spherical Friday at Augusta Nationwide Golf Membership.

And the ultimate spherical is as we speak for the 31 rivals enjoying.

Up first at 7:40 a.m. had been Latanna Stone, Hinano Muguruma, Charlotte Heath and Saki Baba.

On the prime proper now’s Rose Zhang, who set one other file Thursday to take a five-stroke lead.

Zhang double-bogeyed the primary gap Saturday with a 6.

With winds already choosing up forward of a entrance that was transferring in, she teed off at 8:50 a.m. along with her dad on the bag. She instantly despatched the ball right into a bunker – the identical one which had simply vexed South Africa’s Caitlyn Macnab. Zhang obtained out of the bunker with a roughly 40-yard shot. But it surely took two

Zhang obtained by means of the second gap with 4, going into the third gap with a four-shot lead. Then she made par on the third gap, main with six going into the fourth gap.

Additionally beginning at 8:50 was Andrea Lignell, who bogeyed the primary gap and double-bogeyed the second. Going into the day, Georgia’s personal Jenny Bae was at No. 3. She teed off at 8:40.

There for the beginning had been Dr. Condoleezza Rice, the previous secretary of state who’s an Augusta Nationwide member and massive supporter of girls’s golf, and Swedish skilled golfer Annika Sörenstam.

Patrons had been three and 4 deep as they watched in a crowd filled with households and children.

As at all times, merchandise was in style among the many patrons, who carried luggage and luggage of purchases, many after ready in a line on the patron store that stretched practically to the doorway gate.

Skies had been overcast, and the climate loomed as a giant issue developing. Winds solely obtained stronger by means of the morning, and a storm appeared possible.

Zhang went into the ultimate spherical with a giant lead going into Saturday’s spherical. The world No. 1 mentioned that comes with its personal challenges.

“I believe for us as gamers mentally, we at all times wish to chase, and it’s very regular to be making an attempt to make birdies and never fear in regards to the penalties, however while you’re within the lead, you understand that you just’ve been enjoying properly and also you need to preserve it,” she mentioned Friday.

“Some gamers are likely to form of have a unfastened footing, I suppose, with their lead, they usually find yourself making an attempt to play secure or they might take into consideration their lead an excessive amount of. I’ve positively felt that earlier than. I’ve positively had that. With that in thoughts, the expertise will definitely enable me to form of understand what I must do after I go on the market.”

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Will she be nervous Saturday?

“Nerves come in additional – at the least for me, a bit of bit evening earlier than. I’ve positively gotten higher over time. Morning of, you have got your routine, so it’s not essentially something too totally different from the earlier couple rounds you’re enjoying, and also you basically are simply making an attempt to get within the zone,” she mentioned.

“I’d say the nerves are extra anticipation and form of making an attempt to go on the market and – it’s fairly unpredictable what you have got every day, so I believe the unpredictability is actually a nerve-racking expertise.”

Jenny Bae, No. 3 going into the ultimate spherical, may have a variety of help Saturday, since she’s from Georgia.

“I’ve a variety of family that I haven’t seen shortly and their associates and different folks, however I’m extra excited to see them than them ever giving me stress,” she mentioned.

Andrea Lignell, No. 2 going into the ultimate spherical, was glad for the follow day on Friday.

“I’m form of having fun with it proper now. I believe this was like well-needed for me, like a follow spherical within the center to get my nerves right down to relax and simply have enjoyable as we speak earlier than tomorrow,” she mentioned Friday.

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For thus many, an opportunity to play at Augusta Nationwide is a deal with. To compete there may be even higher. That is outdated hat for Zhang. She has made it to the ultimate spherical of the ANWA all 4 years it has been performed, beginning when she was 15 and in highschool.

She shared the lead going to Augusta Nationwide two years in the past, solely to take a triple bogey on the par-5 thirteenth to finish her probabilities. Now she leads by 5 and is enjoying her finest golf.

The ultimate spherical will embody one other 15-year-old in Gianna Clemente, who performed her first U.S. Girls’s Novice at age 11 and final 12 months made it by means of Monday qualifying for 3 consecutive LPGA Tour occasions.

LOOKING AHEAD TO THE MASTERS:

Clemente confirmed her mettle Thursday. After opening with a 74 that left her exterior the minimize, she shot 32 on her second 9 for a 69. That included a 50-foot birdie on No. 2.

She has been in awe of Zhang ever since they performed a follow spherical at a junior match. She mentioned Zhang did many of the speaking. “She requested just a few questions and I most likely stuttered just a few issues,” Clemente mentioned.

Anna Davis, the defending champion, by no means recovered from a four-shot penalty she was assessed on her opening gap Wednesday for lifting and cleansing her golf ball when it wasn’t within the fairway. She had a 9 and shot 76. Davis had a pair of bogeys on par 5s and missed the minimize by two pictures.

Additionally making the minimize had been Amari Avery, the No. 9 participant within the girls’s beginner rating, with birdies on her final two holes. Essentially the most unlikely to advance was Ting-Hsuan Huang of Taiwan. She opened with a 79 and bounced again with a 66 to make it to the ultimate spherical with two pictures to spare.

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