Saturday 9 December 2017 17:14, UK
Charley Hull and Dame Laura Davies roared into contention for the Omega Dubai Ladies Classic title as Anne Van Dam retained a two-shot lead after the third round.
Hull, runner-up to Shanshan Feng in the Ladies European Tour's season-ending event at The Emirates GC last year, returned a 67 to get within three of the lead, while veteran Davies is just one stroke further back after an entertaining 66 lifted her to eight under.
Georgia Hall continued to be hampered by jet lag following her successful week at the Final Stage of LPGA Tour Qualifying School last week, stuttering to a 72 to slip six shots behind the leader, while American Solheim Cup star Angel Yin stormed into a share of second with a 65 - the low round of the day.
Van Dam enjoyed a two-shot lead at the halfway stage, and she consolidated her position at the top of the leaderboard with birdies at the first and second, although she found the going tougher after a bogey at eight and ground out nine straight pars before closing out a steady 70 with a birdie at the final hole.
Teenage sensation Yin vaulted 23 places in the right direction after a superb start to her third round, reeling off four straight birdies from the second before bouncing back from a bogey at the sixth with another gain at the next.
The 19-year-old picked up three further shots on the inward half, although she missed out at the par-five last to remain in a share of second with Swede Pernilla Lindberg, who birdied the final three holes to card an impressive 66.
Hull also made a blistering start as her drive at the par-four second found the fringe and she rolled in the putt for eagle, and she birdied three of the next four holes around her lone bogey of the day at the fourth before the putts dried up for the young English challenger.
She did manage to finish with a birdie after a frustrating run of 11 pars, and she admitted afterwards that she was not happy with her performance on the greens, saying: "I played well, but I left so many shots out there. Just couldn't get my putter going at all."
But while Hull struggled with the flat-stick, Davies was delighted with her putting as she rolled back the years with nine birdies, including four in five holes after the turn, giving her a realistic shot at her first LET victory since 2010.
The 54-year-old said: "My ball striking is decent, but it takes the pressure off when you know you don't have to hit it stiff to make a birdie anymore. So putting, that's all it is.
"Winning, that's the only thing you come here for. As unrealistic as people probably think it is, I wouldn't be here if I didn't think I could win."
Florentyna Parker moved to eight under with a solid, four-birdie 69, while Hall mixed two birdies with a pair of bogeys in a disappointing 72 which left her six behind Van Dam along with Hannah Burke and one ahead of Ryder Cup team-mate Jodi Ewart-Shadoff and compatriot Holly Clyburn.
