NAPLES, Fla. — Lauren Coughlin hit a bunker shot for eagle on the par-5 seventeenth gap Saturday, becoming a member of Andrew Novak for a four-under 68 and a one-stroke lead heading into the ultimate spherical of the Grant Thornton Invitational.
Novak has an opportunity to win the staff title once more this 12 months. He teamed up with Ben Griffin to win the Zurich Basic in New Orleans. Grant Thornton is the one blended staff occasion.
At 19-under 125, they led Charlie Hull and Michael Brennan by one stroke and had been poised to share the lead till Hull lipped out from exterior 3 toes on the ultimate gap for a three-putt bogey. They fired 71 photographs.
Lexi Thompson and Windham Clark made eight consecutive pars for a 72 and are two photographs behind.
The ultimate spherical is a modified four-ball sport. Every participant tees off, adjustments golf balls, continues with the remaining balls, and low scores are counted.
Though the Canadian duo of Brooke Henderson and Corey Connors performed a job within the tougher foursome, it ought to result in a drop in scoring. They made seven birdies and briefly shared the lead till a bogey on the 18th and a 67.
This places him three photographs behind Nelly Korda and Denny McCarthy (70) and Jennifer Kupcho and Chris Gotterup (70).
Kupcho Gotterup and Coughlin Novak every made double bogeys on the par-5 14th gap. Coughlin helped his staff get better when he holed out from the fitting bunker on the seventeenth gap.
“4 birdies and one eagle. Actually, actually strong instead shot,” Novak mentioned.
When requested how a lot he wished to win, particularly the Grant Thornton Invitational together with the Zurich Basic title, he responded along with his standard matter-of-fact response.
“Some folks, like Zurich, Grant Thornton, name this the modern-day Grand Slam,” Novak mentioned. “In fact, tomorrow I will assume a bit of bit about my legacy.”
Hull mentioned he likes to be within the chase, and this week isn’t any exception.
“In fact, it will have been good to maintain the lead and go into the ultimate spherical,” she mentioned. “However I feel I will make loads of birdies tomorrow.”
