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With the exception of one player, moving day didn’t bring much action.
On a bright, boisterous Saturday in Pebble Beach, in the third round of the 78th US Women’s Open, Japan’s Nasa Hataoka fired a career-best 66 to take the lead, while American Billy Tardy slid into a tie for third.
Otherwise, mixing was restricted to the top of the leaderboard.
Sunday is a new day. The winds will rise, the greens will be strong, and some top contenders are still chasing this Women’s National Championship, the first ever to be held in Pebble.
Could anything happen? Well, a lot of things can. Here are five of the most exciting ways a tournament can end.
Rose Jang Goes Wild
The rookie phenom and pre-tournament favorite drew the largest crowd on Saturday, and Zhang gave them a dose of steady, if unspectacular, play on par with the day. She’s off the pace by eight shots heading into Sunday, which means she’ll likely have to put up something special. This is something that would turn Pebble on its head.
Replays Minjee Lee
The stylish Aussie will be paired with Zhang on Sunday. There is one more thing they have in common. It’s also eight points behind, after Zhang leveled the score in the third round. The difference is that Lee is the defending champion. If she can pull off the victory, she will become the first player to win back-to-back Women’s Opens since Carrie Webb in 2001 and 2002.
Billy Tardy party
Georgia Bulldogs, an All-American in college, were the sweetheart to Windham Clark in the women’s game. Exuding talent, a star awaits. It’s only three shots back. A month after Clarke’s upset win, at another legendary California course, can we rehash the themes from the LACC?
Jiayi Shen struck a chord
America’s Got Talent. So did Shin, a soft-spoken singer who has released several CDs in her native South Korea. If you can lift the charts from their current five back position, the Cup Showdown could include an exciting solo showing on the 18th green.
Nasa Hatooka runs away with it
True, it’s always fun to see a nail-biting finish. And looking at the compiled leaderboard, we might as well get one. But if she can carry on her scorching play on Saturday – she was the only competitor to break 70 in the third round – it will be an amazing performance. and measure compensation for Hataoka, who lost in the playoff at the 2021 US Women’s Open at the Olympic Club.