Pedersen: “To have something to chase and to focus on what I was doing and not look at others…that’s what I tried to do. To make more birdies than I did the first two days, that kept me chasing even though I was in the lead”; watch final round live on Sunday from 7pm on Sky Sports Golf
Last Updated: 11/11/23 11:00pm
Emily Kristine Pedersen carded three birdies over the final five holes for a six-under 64 that gave her a three-shot lead on Saturday at The ANNIKA, where the scoring was so low that Pedersen had only the seventh-best round of the day.
Pedersen must have felt as though she was stuck in neutral at Pelican Golf Club. The Dane kept a clean card, made six birdies and still saw player after player close in on her.
Amy Yang shot 61, two-time major champion Lilia Vu got back into the mix with a 62 – a score matched by Patty Tavatanakit and Alison Lee – and two other players signed for a 63.
Pedersen got some breathing room late on when her drive on the 16th skipped out of a bunker into the fairway, setting up a wedge to short range. And on the 18th she tugged her pitching wedge only to see it catch a slope on the left side of the green. It rolled down to six feet for a final birdie.
Pedersen is at 18 under, three shots clear of Yang and Vu going into the final round.
Emily Kristine Pedersen holds a three-shot lead at the LPGA’s The ANNIKA, despite a very competitive field
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Pedersen revealed she had spoken with her mental coach who advised her to try to lead by more shots at the end of the day than when she started.
“To kind of have something for me to chase, and to just focus on what I was doing and not looking at the others,” Pedersen said.
“So that’s what I just tried to do. Tried to make more birdies on the weekend than I did the first two days, and that kind of kept me chasing even though I was in the lead.”
Pedersen will be going for her first LPGA Tour title, and she would appear to be in great shape to reach the LPGA finale next week down the Florida coast in Naples. She came to Pelican at No 80 in the Race to CME Globe, and only the top 60 advance.
Vu has no such issues. She is No 2 and will stay in that position, unable to catch Celine Boutier, who is not playing this week. But there is the matter of LPGA Tour player of the year, which is based on points, and Vu is only three points behind.
Vu said she never even considered player of the year until after she won the Women’s British Open for her second major of the year.
“Then started thinking about it, started playing worse,” Vu said. “So now I don’t think about it. I just try to play well.”
Who will win the ANNIKA Driven By Gainbridge At Pelican? Watch the final round live on Sunday from 7pm on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, LPGA Tour and more with NOW.