Yujeong Son is in the same position she was in last year when she went on to win
(AJGA photo)
TAMARAC, FL (December 21, 2017) - 16-year-old defending champion
Yujeong Son has put herself in position to repeat at the Women's Dixie Amateur at Woodlands Country Club.
The Norman, OK teenager shot a 4-under 68 to take a one-shot lead over UCLA freshman
Patty Tavatanakit of Thailand.
Maria Fassi (Mexico),
Yvie Chaucheprat (France), and first- and second-round leader
Lily May Humphreys (England) are tied for third, three shots behind Son.
Son started the tournament with an even-par 72, and then got into contention with a 67 on Wednesday. Her momentum continued with a bogey-free 68 in round three, with three birdies in a row from 14-16 giving her the lead. In 54 holes, Son has made only two bogeys.
Tavatanakit matched Son's 68, riding a front-nine 32 to put herself in a good position to win. She is currently 8 under par, one shot back.
The 18-year-old Chaucheprat had the round of the day, a 5-under 67, to reach 6 under for the tournament. Chaucheprat has improved each round of the tournament, with rounds of 73-70-67, and has made 13 birdies in the last two rounds.
Fassi, a junior at the University of Arkansas, overcame an early double bogey to post a solid 70.
Humphreys, the 15-year-old who won both the English Women's Amateur and the British Girls' Championship this year, held the lead after each of the first two rounds with two straight 68s. Her good play continued through the front nine on Thursday, with a 1-under 35 getting her to 9 under for the tournament. But a bogey at the par-four 13th and a double bogey at the par-five 16th knocked her out of the lead and left her three shots back.
Related: Women's Dixie: English champ Humphreys Leads By 3
Aline Krauter, a Stanford commit from Germany who lives in Wesley Chapel, had an up-and-down round of 71 that leaves her in solo sixth, five shots behind Son.
In last year's Women's Dixie, Son carried a one-shot lead into the final round and closed with a 69 as her closest rivals faded, resulting in a five-shot win over Sweden's Linnea Strom. Son is the youngest Oklahoma women’s golf amateur state champion in history, winning it age 13, and has won both the Swinging Skirts AJGA Invitational and the Kathy Whitworth Invitational this year.
So is winning is becoming a habit for Son, she should be formidable in her quest to repeat in Friday's final round. But with the quality of the chase group, she can't expect anyone to fade this time around.
ABOUT THE Dixie Women's Amateur
72-hole stroke invitational women's stroke play
championship. Field consists of
former Dixie
Amateur
Champions, and women from around the world
invited by the
Tournament Committee. (You may request an
invitation at
www.dixieamateur.com).
Tournament takes on extra
importance as one of the last major
international
amateur
events to be played
before the Augusta National Women's Amateur
(ANWA) determines their
ranking-based exemption list. The field limit will
be
108
players. Field
is cut after 54 holes to
the low 66 players and ties.
View Complete Tournament Information