SIOUX FALLS, S.D., September 3, 2016 – Wichanee Meechai (Bangkok, Thailand) will take a one shot lead into the final round of the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge.

“I have really good putts today,” Meechai said of the key to her round. “On the front nine, it wasn’t that windy so I could make a lot of birdies. The back nine it was pretty windy for me and I don’t really like it. I don’t know why.”

Meechai made five birdies in her first 10 holes to get to 11-under for the tournament before closing with seven pars and a lone bogey on the 18th.

“I thought the wind was going to really bring the ball left to right so I thought it was a really good shot but it just didn’t come out that way and it went in the water,” Meechai explained.

Meechai currently sits in 11th on the Volvik Race for the Card Money List and a strong showing this week at the GreatLIFE Challenge, the second largest purse of the year, would give her a good chance at locking up her 2017 LPGA Tour Card.

“It’s really important to me,” Meechai said. “I talked with my caddie and I know if I can win this it can help me secure my card because now I’m sitting in 11th place and if I have a win I can get my full card for the LPGA and that’s really important to me.”

Chasing Meechai down in the final group will be Volvik Race for the Card money leader Madelene Sagstrom (Enkoping, Sweden), who is looking for her third win of 2016, and Nelly Korda (Bradenton, Fla.). The final group will tee off at 9:31 a.m.

The penultimate group will consist of Dana Finkelstein (Chandler, Ariz.), who sits a two shots back of the lead, and Emma de Groot (Coffs Harbour, Australia) and Jessica Wallace (Langley, B.C.), who are four back. The penultimate group tees off at 9:20 a.m.

Asked if she was ready for the final round Meechai smiled and said confidently.

“Of course yes.”

The final round will begin at 7:30 a.m. tomorrow off split tees in threesomes and is expected to conclude at approximately 2:30 p.m. with a trophy ceremony on the 18th green.

VOVIK RACE FOR THE CARD NO. 1 MADELENE SAGSTROM IN THE HUNT AGAIN: Volvik Race for the Card No. 1 Madelene Sagstrom will be looking for her third win of the 2016 Epson Tour season tomorrow at the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge.

“I feel a lot better today,” Sagstrom said. “I figured some stuff out. I talked with my mentor last night and we had a really good chat and we figured out some things last night like what I should focus on on the course and it turned out really well today.”

Sagstrom’s mentor is PGA TOUR pro and fellow Swede Robert Karlsson.

“We were just talking about not worrying about the result and not focusing on the miss but really giving myself a chance to play free golf.”

Sagstrom sits just one shot back of Wichanee Meechai’s lead.

“Very happy,” Sagstrom said of where she sits. “The wind game, I haven’t thought of it as the strongest part of my game but definitely big change today. I felt really comfortable out there so I’m really happy with the way that I’ve played.”

Wichanee Meechai Takes One Shot Lead into Final Round of Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge

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