Date: August 25, 2013
Author: Australian Ladies Professional Golf / LPGA
Defending champion of the Bing Lee Samsung Women’s NSW Open Caroline Hedwall will be looking at capture her first LPGA title tomorrow in Canada. Hedwall kept her hot play going this week in Edmonton at the CN Canadian Women’s Open and heads into Sunday s final round with a one-shot lead over European Solheim Cup teammate Suzann Pettersen and defending champion and 16-year old amateur Lydia Ko. Just last week, Hedwall became the first player in Solheim Cup history to go 5-0 in competition and has showed no signs of slowing down. The 24-year-old Swede shot a 6-under 64 on Saturday which tied the course record at Royal Mayfair Golf Club and sits atop of the leaderboard at 10-under-par. It also marks the first time in her career that she has led or co-led after the third round. Her playing partners, Pettersen (65) and Brittany Lincicome (66) had solid rounds of their own and were two of only five players to shoot 66 or better in the third round on Saturday. It was definitely inspiring playing with Suzann and Brittany today, said Hedwall. We hit it close and we made a lot of putts, so it was a lot of fun. The third-year LPGA Tour pro may have just gotten the boost she’s needed to break into the winner s circle. She has eight professional wins worldwide on the Ladies European Tour and the Australian Ladies Professional Golf Tour but is still looking for her first LPGA Tour win. Hedwall has won the Bing Lee Samsung Women’s NSW Open twice including this earlier this year. Hedwall will be paired with Pettersen and Ko for Sunday s final round. Hedwall is famililar with the talented Kiwi having gone head to head with her at Oatlands Golf Club for the Women’s NSW Open title. Ko had five birdie and two bogeys in her round of 67 and feels comfortable in the position she put herself in for her title defense. I was three shots back from the leader yesterday, and I&aposm one shot back at the moment, so I&aposm getting much closer to the leader, said Ko. I played pretty well out there. I made five birdies and two bogeys. I was overall really happy, and I was 8 under coming into the final round last year, so one shot better, which leaves me in a good place. Rolex Rankings No. 1 Inbee Park held a share of the second-round lead but dropped down the leaderboard after a 4-over 74 on Saturday and currently sits six shots off the lead in a T15. Katherine Hull-Kirk was the only Australian to make the week-end, she posted a third round of two-over-par 72 to be at four-over total and tied for 56th position.