THIRD ROUND SHOOTOUT AT CYPRESS LAKE IN CHICO'S PATTY BERG MEMORIAL

Sherman Santhiwiwatthanaphong

In golf parlance, Saturday is “moving day,” and that is precisely what it was for a few players who leapfrogged their way up the leaderboard on the third day of the Chico's Patty Berg Memorial at Cypres Lake Country Club. Thailand’s Sherman Santhiwiwatthanaphong (go ahead, say that fast) started the day in 6th position, four shots back of Madeline Sagstrom of Sweden, a former star at Louisiana State University. Sherman ended the day just two shots back at -10, after carding a five-under 67 to claim round-of-the-day honors.

What made her move especially impressive is that she shot

even par on the front nine, but Course Superintendent Bryce Koch may have to put in some extra time to fix the scorch marks she left on the back nine. Sherman posted an eagle and three birdies (two of those on 17 & 18) on the back side to finish Round 3 in second alone. Her birdie on No.14 was a brilliant piece of work. She pulled her second shot left of the green and greenside bunker, but lofted a feathery wedge onto the green and rolled in a 10-footer for the bird. So tweet!

Of those now on the first page of the leaderboard, tall

Jordan Britt

Tennessean Jordan Britt made the biggest northward leap. Britt’s 69 eased her past quite a crowd to move up from 20th into a tie for 8th with three other players at -4. Jean Reynolds of Newman, Georgia, 

Jean Reynolds

who sits at -6, was the other major Saturday mover in the top-ten, as her 69 bumped her up into 6th from a tie for 10th. Reynolds, no stranger to the LPGA Tour, had it to -7 before her U-Haul hit a speed bump on No.17 where she carded her first bogey since the opening hole.

Madeline Sagstrom’s perch atop the leaderboard after three

Madeline Sagstrom

rounds is a testament to her resilience and steely nerve. She began Saturday’s round with a three-shot lead after a 69 on Day 1, and a blistering 66 on Day 2. After three birdies on the first 11 holes,

Sophia Popov

she was 12 under and threatening to pull away from the field with a four-shot lead. Bogies on No.12 and No.14 cut her lead to one shot over Kana Nagai of Japan and two ahead of Sophia Popov of Germany. It appeared as though Sagstrom’s move was heading in the wrong direction.

Ah, but a round of golf is 18 holes, and Madeline, who barely showed her irritation at bogeying No.14 after finding the greenside bunker, closed out the round with

birdies on the final two holes to finish at -12. She’s the only player to have carded three rounds in the 60s (69, 66, 69) and,as I mentioned in my previous post,3rd and 2nd-place finishes in her past two starts suggests that a 1st might be on tap. We shall see tomorrow (probably today by the time you read this).

Augusta James

Chico’s Patty Berg Symetra Defending Champion Augusta James of Canada is rounding into form. She posted a three-under 69 herself in the gusting conditions at Cypress Lake. However, that 69 came on the heels of two even-par rounds of 72, and she finds herself nine shots back of the leader. Although she moved 16 spots up the leaderboard on Saturday, her tie for 12th makes a successful title defense the longest of shots.

Speaking of defending champions, Floridian Laurie Rinker

Laurie Rinker

had a tough outing on the first day of her Legends Tour title defense. Her up and down round was mostly down and she carded a 78 to leave herself six shots off the pace set by the seven players who posted even par rounds on

Kris Tschetter

the difficult Cypress track. With approximately 68 professional wins among the seven leaders (Helen Alfredsson, Jane Crafter, Lisa Grimes, Christa Johnson, Lori Kane, Barb Mucha, and Kris Tschetter), Laurie’s chances of overcoming a six-shot deficit in one round is, shall we say, unlikely?

Perhaps it is because I’m a little bit of an outlier myself…ok,

Rosie Jones

more than a little bit…that I tend to give outliers at least a little love. California’s Rosie Jones showed herself to be an outlier among the Legends field at the Patty Berg today, in that she was the only legend that I saw walking the course. 

When I asked Rosie why she chose to walk, she replied, “I’m just trying to spend a little more time with my players and

when I’m on a cart, you know, it’s kinda hard to do that.” Kudos to Rosie and no disrespect to any of the other incredible legends in the field, but I’m pulling for her tomorrow. She sits one shot behind the above-mentioned group of seven.

Oh, speaking of outliers, gotta give a shout out to Ginger

Robbi & Ginger Howard

Howard of Bradenton, Florida. She was another of those outliers, being the only African American in the field, AND having her younger sister Robbi (a golfer in her own right) on the bag. Ginger has been touted as the youngest African American to make it onto a professional golf tour, after she medaled at Q-School in 2011 at 17. I haven’t verified the claim, but it sure sounds good.

After finishing Round 2 at -2 and 15th on the leaderboard, Ginger fell into a tie for 24th

after shooting two over par on Saturday, and she goes into the final round with a score of even par. You’d never know that she didn’t have the best round out there given the smile she flashed on the practice green after her round. She obviously has game and she has a terrific attitude, so I’ll be keeping an eye out for Ms. Howard.

Well I’d better wrap this up if I hope to catch some of the action tomorrow. If today is any indication, there should be more fireworks in store on the back nine on Sunday, and I plan to be there. Until next, keep it in the short grass…

T. A. in Myrtle Beach