Lottie Ward Holds Three-Stroke Lead at Kroger Queen City Championship
England’s Lottie Ward will enter the final round of the LPGA Tour’s Kroger Queen City Championship in Ohio with a commanding three-stroke advantage. The golfer, aiming to make her European debut at the upcoming Solheim Cup, delivered an impressive 5-under 65 during a challenging third round at Maketewa Country Club, following a strong second-round score of 64.
Currently ranked No. 10 in the world, Ward leads American Amanda Doherty, who sits at 11 under. In third place is Heran Liu, trailing four strokes behind, with three-time major champion Lydia Ko in close pursuit.
Performance of Contenders
Gino Titicle, along with Rose Zhang, holds a 5-under score, while world No. 1 Nelly Korda and last night’s co-leader Jin Yong Ko find themselves tied for 19th place, each nine shots off the lead after rounds of 72 and 75, respectively. Defending champion Charlie Hull, who initially led by two strokes on the first day, struggled significantly, posting a disappointing 3-over 73, which puts her at 3-over for the tournament.
Ward’s Journey Through the Course
Ward began the day with a birdie on the par-4 3rd hole and improved her score further from the 7th hole onward. She commenced her back nine with consecutive birdies on the par-3 9th, effectively negating a previous bogey. However, she lost some momentum with bogeys on the last two holes, reducing her lead over Ward and Doherty to three strokes.
Reflecting on her performance, Ward noted, “I just tried to accept that last week was a little bit abnormal.” She missed qualifying for the Mizuho Americas Open last week and adjusted her strategy, focusing on improving her putting technique, which she identified as a weakness due to an improperly aligned grip.
Fosterling Leads at Amundi German Masters
Meanwhile, in the European Women’s Tour, Alexandra Fosterling surged ahead with a two-shot lead approaching the final round of the Amundi German Masters. The German golfer posted an outstanding 4-under 69, featuring a remarkable streak of four consecutive birdies from the 12th hole, raising her total to 10 under.
Interim leader Sara Kouskova fell back after a flat par 73, leaving her tied for second alongside Chiara Noja. German golfer Leonie Harm dropped four places, now tied for fourth with Canada’s Anna Huang. Esther Henseleit struggled with a 4-over 77, marked by two double bogeys, while England’s Esme Hamilton shot a 1-over 74 and moved to a tie for eighth place at 4 under.
Fans can catch the final rounds as the Amundi German Masters will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf from midday on Sunday, while the Kroger Queen City Championship will air on Sky Sports Mix starting at 8 PM. This presents an excellent opportunity for golf enthusiasts to follow the exciting competitions taking place on both tours.
