Maude-Aimée Leblanc can still believe in her chances of victory at the JTBC Classic, presented in Carlsbad, California, after finishing the first 54 holes in a tie for third place on Saturday.
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The Quebecer gave a card of 70 (-2) on her third outing on the course at the Aviara golf club. Her cumulative score of 206 (-10) allows her to navigate to the top of the rankings, more precisely in third place, along with South Korean Jin Young Ko and Thai Pajaree Anannarukarn.
The women’s trio will enter the final round four shots behind Denmark’s Nanna Koerstz Madsen. The latter sits at the top of the rankings since the first day of the competition. In the third round, she hit the white object 69 (-3) times.
The South Korean Na Rin An will be her main pursuer at the start of the day, she who is three strokes behind.
The other representative of the Maple Leaf in contention at the start of the event, Maddie Szeryk, was one of the victims of the ax after the second round.
PGA: Corey Conners in the semi-finals in Austin
In Austin, Texas, Canadian golfer Corey Conners reached the semi-finals of the Dell Technologies World Championship by defeating Mexican Abraham Ancer.
Although he never fell behind in his quarter-final duel, the 30-year-old athlete had to be wary of his opponent on several occasions. Conners eventually took a two-hole lead winning the 14th and 16th.
Ancer had to win the last two pennants to at least force an extension. If he succeeded in his mission at the 17th pennant, he failed on the last of the course, conceding victory to the Ontarian.
Earlier in the morning, during the round of 16, the representative of the maple leaf had eliminated the Japanese Takumi Kanaya quite easily. Conners needed only seven pennants to take a three-hole lead. Kanaya had his only moment of celebration in the 10th pennant, before seeing his opponent win the next two, as well as the 15th. He thus ended the match, with a five-hole lead with only three remaining to play.
In the semi-finals on Sunday morning, Conners, ranked 36th among the 64 golfers competing at the start of the competition, will face American Kevin Kisner (29th). The other semi-final will pit Americans Scottie Scheffler (5th) and Dustin Johnson (8th) against each other. The final of this tournament played in the form of a “World Cup” will be presented on Sunday afternoon.
