What a difference a day makes eh? After Friday’s biblical downpours, which would have had the intrepid Noah pulling in the gangplank, hoisting up the anchor and shouting ‘right boys, let’s see if this bloomin’ thing floats’, the third round of the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open looked like it was being played out on a different planet.
It was a day to make hay while the sun shone at The Renaissance, because Mother Nature is apparently preparing to hurl a few more bucket loads down again today.
Carly Booth certainly prospered in the calm, warm and inviting conditions and kept herself clinging to the coat tails of the frontrunners heading into the closing 18 holes.
While Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn heads a leaderboard that is full of eastern promise – six of the first seven places are made up by two Thais and four Koreans – Booth plonked a saltire in the merry midst of it with a neatly assembled five-under 66 which left her on a 10-under 203.
The 27-year-old, who made her breakthrough on the Ladies European Tour with victory in this event back in 2012, may be six shots behind the pacesetting Jutanugarn but the Scot is simply enjoying being involved at the sharp end.
“It’s funny how much your mind-set changes when you’re higher up the leaderboard,” said Booth, who has a had two top-fives on the women’s circuit this year as she continues to show signs that she is finding the form that made her a two-time champion on the tour.
“When you start playing well, you start rolling the ball; you just see yourself holing the putts so much more. You’re actually getting mad at yourself for missing 25-footers. It’s actually great to have that feeling. It really feels good.”
Booth has every reason to feel good. Her course management has been spot on, her short game and putting has been decent and her driving seems to be pretty tasty.
In this game of many parts, getting all the cogs and pistons working in unison is never easy and Booth knows there is still room for improvement. ‘Twas ever thus in golf.
“Even when I have had my good results this year, something was always not quite working,” she said.
“Even though I shot five-under today and didn’t drop any shots, I still left so many chances out there. But my overall golf is just more consistent and that’s something I’ve worked on this year.
“It’s not that my good golf’s been better, it’s just my bad golf’s been better. If I’m missing, I’m missing in the right places.”
6⃣6⃣@CarlyBooth92 cards a superb third round bogey-free -5 to move to -10 👏🏻👏🏻#ASILSO @LadiesScottish pic.twitter.com/7AdT0wSMaH
— Ladies European Tour (@LETgolf) August 10, 2019
With the weather set to turn again, Booth is ready for the challenge. “Sometimes I think the harder, the better,” she said. “You get back into your old ways where you used to play in the rain, while others may not be so used to it. Not that I want it to rain but I’ll deal with it in the way I know.”
At the head of the field, Jutanugarn posted a 67 of her own to inch ahead as she looks to keep the trophy in the family following the success of her sister, Ariya, last year.
Ariya herself is not out of it at 10-under after the former Women’s British Open champion carded a 68 and the sibling rivalry could make things interesting if it tightens up.
“We actually grew up really competitive, so we just compete at everything,” said Moriya, who holds a narrow advantage over the Korean duo of Mi Jung Hur and the reigning US Women’s Open champion Jeongeun Lee6.
The Jutanugarns have been staying together this week with Moriya doing all the cooking. If she she wins today, will her sister return the compliment?
“I would never want to try her food,” said a chuckling Moriya. She may want to keep the recipe for success to herself.
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