GREENWOOD, S.C. — The Links at Stoney Point Golf Club provided a more than adequate test on moving day at the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic, as only 17 of the 61 players that made the cut shot in the red today.
Dottie Ardina (Laguna, Philippines) tied for the low round of 4-under par 68 and is one of three players tied for the lead heading into the final round.
“It feels great because I moved up and I really played well,” said Ardina, who started the day tied for 17th. “I had some hard times reading the greens and the speeds because they’re not all the same. I just tried to hit the fairways, hit the greens and try to make a putt.”
The other two individuals at 4-under par overall include Jenny Haglund (Karlstad, Sweden) and Vicky Hurst (Melbourne, Florida). Haglund fired a 3-under par 69 and will play with Ardina in the final pairing off No. 1 tee tomorrow at 1 p.m., while Hurst found her way to a steady 1-under 71.
“It’s very tough around the greens, or on the greens. You really have to put it on the right side of the pin,” said Haglund, who carded five birdies and two bogeys in her third round. “I’m going to look at the pin sheet tomorrow definitely before I go out.”
For Hurst, she’ll be in the penultimate group tomorrow and joined by Janie Jackson (Huntsville, Alabama), who shot 2-under par 70 today and is tied for fourth at 3-under par overall. They begin the final chase for first place and the $30,000 winner’s share at 12:50 p.m. off No. 1 tee.
“Nothing different; same thing, same routine,” Hurst said. “Coming out here a couple hours before my tee time, just a solid warmup. As far as my gameplan, pretty much the same thing. The last hole is interesting, it’s a reachable par-5. Down the stretch seeing where we all stand, that might have a decision to make.”
As far as the other rounds of the day that Ardina matched, they belonged to Becca Huffer (Denver, Colorado) and Isi Gabsa (Munich, Germany). Huffer recorded six birdies and two bogeys to get to 4-under par today, while Gabsa fired a bogey-free round.
Both players started the day tied for 43rd and now head into the final day tied for 7th with two others at 1-under par overall.
“I played well, was hitting the ball pretty good, gave myself a lot of good looks for birdie and made the putts,” said Huffer. “I just tried to stay patient out there, kept plugging along and tried to see how many birdies I could get.”
With how the course has reacted to play all week, expect another challenging day for the final round, not only of this year’s Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic, but for the Epson Tour’s stop in Greenwood for the time being.
“It’s my third year here, I would love to be the final champion at Stoney Point,” said Kim Welch (Sacramento, California), who is solo sixth at 2-under par overall and will play with Katelyn Sepmoree(Tyler, Texas) in the final round. “Such a great week from the moment we get here, as we are welcomed with open arms.”
A total of 10 players, represented by five countries, are under par for the tournament. Final round action gets underway tomorrow at 8 a.m.
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