Ariya Jutanugarn couldn’t quite get it to the clubhouse in the third round of the Trust Golf Women’s Scottish Open. The Thai star had a three-shot cushion to start the day at Dumbarnie Links in Fife, Scotland, but the double-bogey she made at the par-4 10th forced her to dip into that lead. A bogey-bogey finish at the final two holes left her at even-par 72 and suddenly part of a three-way tie for the third-round lead with Charley Hull and Ryan O’Toole.
“I had a pretty tough day today. Kind of got everything,” Jutanugarn said. “Feel pretty good, make some birdies and also have double on No. 10. But I still have so much fun today because like I have really good commitment but ball end up just not in the right place. You know, it’s just not my good days but still have so much positive to go on.”
In typical form, Jutanugarn walked away from that double-bogey on No. 10 with a big smile on her face. You rarely see the former world No. 1 not smiling on the golf course.
A couple of mistakes in a bunker led to the big number, but Jutanugarn said she remains committed and focused playing Dumbarnie Links this week. She’s already won on a links course, having claimed the AIG Women’s British Open at Woburn in 2016.
Hull had a third consecutive round of 69 to move to 9 under and a share of the lead. O’Toole, meanwhile, had 68.
This marks the first lead or co-lead of 34-year-old O’Toole’s career as she looks to become the sixth Rolex First-Time Winner of the 2021 season. Her day was marked by a late eagle on the Aon Risk Reward Challenge Hole, No. 15.
“I had just been playing 15, take the drive down just that center-left side,” she said. “Today with the wind direction, it was helping a bit more versus left-to-right, so I was able to bite off more on the corner. The back pins, that’s the risk is that if you come in on that left side, you have a short club in but it’s a hard position to hold that green up top.”
“I put myself in a good spot. I had an uphill lie with pitching wedge in and was able to hold the green nicely and make the 9-footer.”