Ally Ewing has not finished in the top 10 all year on the LPGA Tour, but she was practically flawless at Kenwood Country Club; she shot six birdies and was bogey-free until the final hole to move into Sunday's final round with a one-shot lead
Sunday 11 September 2022 07:57, UK
Ally Ewing navigated a soggy course at the Kroger Queen City Championship on Saturday to build a one-shot lead over Maria Fassi going into the final round.
Ewing's first order of business this deep in the LPGA Tour season is to make sure she is among the 60 who reach the final event, which she has done every year since 2017. A victory would take care of that.
She has not finished in the top 10 all year, but she was practically flawless at Kenwood Country Club. Ewing had six birdies and was bogey-free until the final hole, playing even longer than its 446 yards because of the soggy conditions that allowed for preferred lies.
Ewing missed the green to the right, had very little green to work with and pitched about 18 feet by the hole. Her five-under-par third round leaves her 16-under going into Sunday.
Right behind was Fassi, the dynamic Mexican with the powerful swing who matched Ewing with a 67 and will play in the final group with her Sunday with a chance to win her first LPGA title.
Fassi closed in on the lead at the par-five 15th after she had short-sided herself by missing the green to the right with a pin tucked to the right behind a bunker. She hit a flop shot that landed a few feet short of the hole and rolled for eagle.
The Mexican showed off her length on the 18th hole, needing only a five-iron to reach the green for a two-putt par on a closing hole that hurt other chances.
Sarah Kemp (70) and Megan Khang (69) both missed the green, each making bogey to fall four shots behind. Khang and Kemp are trying to win on the LPGA Tour for the first time.
Khang finished one shot behind Gaby Lopez a week ago at the Dana Open as the final group struggled.
"We saw last week Gaby and I kind of fought it out in our group, and I think we were like third or fourth to last group. So it's golf. Anything can happen," Khang said. "Just got to stay within yourself and give yourself the chance."
Ewing, with two LPGA victories in her career, started the third round one shot behind and quickly erased that with a pair of birdies, along with another on the par-five fourth hole. Ewing birdied all four of the par fives.
Get the best prices and book a round at one of 1,700 courses across the UK & Ireland
