Wet finish expected at Open

Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 28/08/2011 (5386 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

MIRABEL, Que. — Michelle Wie is in position for a second straight Canadian Women’s Open title, but much depends on a storm called Irene.

Wie shot 68 in warm, windless conditions in the third round Saturday to take a share of the lead with former world No. 1 Ai Miyazato and rookie Tiffany Joh going into what should be a rain-soaked final round.

Organizers are confident an early start and squeezed schedule will help get the fourth round in. But if it cannot be completed, a three-way playoff will be held between the 54-hole leaders wherever a dry enough hole can be found at Hillsdale Golf Club.

Either way, there should be very wet, very windy conditions as the remnants of hurricane Irene move into the area, expected sometime this afternoon.

“It’s something everyone’s going to play under,” said Wie, a three-stroke winner last year at the St. Charles club in Winnipeg. “I’m kind of expecting the worst.

“But whether conditions are good or bad, you still have to play well and there are still players to beat and things you have to do. I don’t think it really makes that much difference.”

The only repeat winner of the Canadian Women’s Open was Pat Bradley in 1985 and 1986.

Former world No. 1 Ai Miyazato shot 71 and Joh, a 24-year-old from San Diego whose best finish this year was 25th, had the low round of the day at 65.

“It’s really exciting for me because coming into this year, I had conditional status and I didn’t even know how many events I was going to play,” said Joh, who is in her eighth tournament. “Just having a chance to contend at one, that’s what dreams are made of.

Miyazato is ready for anything.

“Either way, we need to finish the tournament,” she said. “So I’ll just try to play my style of golf no matter what happens.”

Angela Stanford dropped a stroke when she put a tee shot into a creek on the 17th and was one shot back at 11-under 205, in a tie with Brittany Lincicome, who shot 69.

There were five players at 10-under 206 — Cristie Kerr (69), Jiyai Shin (69), Na Yeon Choi (69), Becky Morgan (70) and Song Hee Kim (71).

Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., was low Canadian at 8-under 208 after a 67, which put her into a tie for 13th place, four strokes off the lead. Jessica Shepley of Oakville, Ont., and Lisa Meldrum of Montreal are at 3-under.

“Coming into the tournament, I liked the way I was playing and hitting the ball, so I felt I had as good a chance as anyone,” the 22-year-old Leblanc said.

No Canadian has won the event since Jocelyne Bourassa in 1973.

— The Canadian Press