MIDLAND, Mich. — Sarah Schmelzel and Albane Valenzuela took the third-round lead Saturday within the Dow Championship, capturing a 2-under 68 in alternate-shot play to maneuver into place for his or her first LPGA Tour victories.
Schmelzel and Valenzuela had a 13-under 197 complete at Midland Nation Cup heading into the better-ball remaining spherical. They opened with an alternate-shot 68 on Thursday and had a best-ball 61 on Friday.
“You are type of on pins and needles a lot of the day, simply hoping you aren’t getting your associate in bother,” Schmelzel mentioned. “Simply tremendous strong. I really feel like we had actually good attitudes all through your entire day. I feel each of us took each single shot because it got here.”
The groups of Jin Hee Im–Somi Lee (68) and Manon De Roey–Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (69) had been a stroke again.
“I am very happy with us,” De Roey mentioned. “We hung in there. We fought till the top.”
Jennifer Kupcho and Leona Maguire, the second-round leaders after a 60, birdied the ultimate two holes for a 72 that left them tied for fourth at 11 beneath with Lauren Hartlage–Brooke Matthews (66) and Sung Hyun Park–Ina Yoon (67). Kupcho received in 2022 with Lizette Salas.
“Simply attempt to go low and attempt to put up a quantity early and see what occurs,” Maguire mentioned. “I feel it was good to see two putts go in on the finish.”
Lexi Thompson–Megan Kang (68) and Rio Takeda–Miyu Yamashita (67) had been 10 beneath.
Defending champions Ruoning Yin and Jeeno Thitikul, each among the many high 5 within the ladies’s world rating, had been 9 beneath after a 67.
Schmelzel and Valenzuela parred the ultimate seven holes. They’d 4 birdies and two bogeys within the spherical.
“I really feel like we had a extremely good day,” Valenzuela mentioned. “Our objective in foursomes was simply to get a pair beneath or perhaps a little bit bit higher. We had just a few errors, and that is going to occur on this format. We additionally did lots of actually good things.”
