Scores went low as winds went down for the first time of the week on Friday in Sweden. Round 3 of the European Ladies’ Amateur Championship produced several brilliant performances, which resulted in a new leader and even tighter gaps on the leaderboard.
It was a tale of several days for Sweden’s Ingrid Lindblad. The wolrd’s number one amateur player quickly reclaimed the lead, with three birdies on her first seven holes. But struggles then showed up, with a double bogey on the 9th, and two bogeys on the back-nine. She kept her composure nonetheless, sinking an ultimate birdie on the 18th green. With a 1-under 70, she leads the pack at -5.
Her playing partner in the last group on Saturday will be the best performer of the week so far. Spain’s Julia Lopez Ramirez played a spectacular round of golf, with eight birdies and not a single mistake. She holds second place at -4 at the end of a day she started in 28th position.
Spain will be well represented in the last groups of the final round. Carla Bernat carded a solid 5-under 66 to join her compatriot at -4. Ireland’s Beth Coulter made it a three-way tie at second place, with a 69 as her third score under par of the week.
As witnessed in the previous rounds, the eventual champion may well come from further down in the leaderboard. Rocio Tejedo signed a 4-under 67, making it three Spaniards whithin the top-five.
She shares 5th place at -2 with Germany’s Helen Briem, who had to step back two spots with a 72 (+1). Belgium’s Sophie Bert also fought her way into contention, with a 4-under 67. She will enter Round 4 in 7th place at -1, with Italy’s Francesca Fiorellini and France’s Constance Fouillet by her side.
High winds and a long course put the cut as high as +10, with 62 players progressing to Saturday's final round.