They like their grub, these golfers. Lydia Ko, for instance, had been wolfing into cupcakes at Dundonald Links during the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open.
Ko Jin-young, meanwhile, has been reacquainting herself with an old favourite of hers, the Scottish sausage roll. Then again?
“I went to the cafe in Troon and ordered the sausage roll but it was just burned,” said the two-time major champion. “I texted my friends and said, ‘is this a sausage roll?’ and they said, ‘no’.”
Whatever it was that was plonked in front of her, it didn’t do Ko any harm. A four-under 68 in round three hoisted her into the top-10. By the end of the day, though, it was Lauren Coughlin who had given everybody food for thought.
A surging six-under 66 from the in-form American propelled her to the top of the leaderboard on a 12-under aggregate and gave her a slender one-shot advantage over Megan Khang heading into the closing round.
It’s been a profitable few weeks for Coughlin. The 31-year-old’s flurry of form started with a fourth place finish in the Evian Championship, the penultimate women’s major of the season, and was followed by a maiden win on the LPGA Tour at the Canadian Open.
A solid tie for ninth in the Portland Classic prior to pitching up in Ayrshire kept Coughlin ticking along. Now, she’s on the cusp of a significant success in the game’s cradle.
On a challenging, windy day – a mere breeze in Scottish golfing parlance – Coughlin harnessed the conditions well with a bogey-free card which equalled the best score of round three.
A bag of six birdies aided the Coughlin cause as she continued to feed of the feel-good factor that her fine form has generated.
“I’ve just been feeling really good about my game,” she said. “I’ve started getting confidence and being relaxed is all I need to do.” Perhaps we should all try this laid-back approach to this daft auld game?
Khang, who was sharing the lead overnight, was ambling along with 11 straight pars but needed to up the ante as Coughlin barged her way to the front.
Patience was a virtue for Khang, though, and she found another gear on the run-in with birdies at the 12th, 14th and 17th in a neatly assembled round.
It’s all to play for with a round to go. “I just have to give myself the opportunities to hole birdies when I have to and get some up-and-downs when need be,” she said. “That’s going to be what makes or breaks this tournament.”
Germany’s Esther Henseleit won silver in the Olympic golf event in Paris last weekend but the 25-year-old is going for gold here at Dundonald.
The two-time Ladies European Tour winner vaulted into contention on nine-under after a 66 which included three birdies in a row from the eighth and an eagle on the 14th.
A bogey on the 16th took some of the shine off the round but it was still a fine day at the office.
In round two, Henseleit came a cropper in a Dundonald bunker and just about required a mini excavator to dig herself out on her way to an eight. There were no such calamities yesterday.
“Everyone knows Scottish bunkers are no joke,” she said with a wry chuckle. “It took me a little while to get out. I’m just trying to enjoy the challenge of links golf.”
England’s Charley Hull stayed in the hunt with a three-under back-nine in a 69 which left her sitting alongside Henseleit on nine-under.
Her title tilt may just be bolstered by the presence of her other half to cheer her on. Somewhere in the crowd there’s you, as ABBA used to say. “My boyfriend flies up in the morning, so I'm buzzing,” said Hull.
Minjee Lee, who was sharing the lead at the start of round three, made an early thrust with back-to-back birdies at the second and third but the Australian would leak three shots coming home and eventually signed for a frustrating 72 which left her four back on eight-under.
“It was up and down,” said the 2018 runner-up. “I started well but just didn’t carry on the momentum. It’s links golf. Sometimes you just have to take it on the chin. I’m just going to try to get some good vibes with the putter.”
Cake-loving Ko sits on seven-under alongside the aforementioned Jin-young. Sausage roll, anybody?
