Ana Pelaez shot a course-record nine-under-par 63 on moving day at the Comunidad de Madrid Ladies Open to take a three shot lead into the final round at Jarama-RACE Golf Club in the Spanish capital.
The 24-year-old from Malaga, playing in her first LET tournament as a rookie professional on the Tour, fired nine birdies for a 54-hole total of 17-under-par.
Related: Tiia Koivisto shows why Spain is like home
“It was a great day out there today. It was also my mother’s birthday and I didn’t have a present for her, so I guess this round works for her. It was great. My putting was good. My shots into the greens were there. My brain was there. Everything was ideal,” Pelaez said.
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She relied on an invitation to get into the tournament, due to having finished outside the top 80 at Q-School. A win would set up her career, but she didn’t show any sign of nerves: “I love pressure. I live for this. I cannot wait for tomorrow,” she added.
“I just felt adrenaline; pure adrenaline. Sometimes it’s good, but I felt so much adrenaline I had to take a deep breath and be in the moment, but it was amazing. I hope that many more people come tomorrow and support us.”
Agathe Sauzon from France shot a seven-under-par 65 to stay in touch, three strokes adrift, and said: “It was a really good round, with a cool group. I played with Ana and she started to make birdies and then I started to make a few.
“I’m hitting it good and just messed up on one hole. My putting is good and I can read the greens, so it’s nice. I saw today that I can shoot low so I will try my best tomorrow.”
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Spanish amateur Cayetana Fernandez, 17, carded a five-under-par 68 and occupies solo third place on 13-under-par. The Club de Campo player, from Madrid, said: “I’m very happy and having fun with my father as caddie. Everything is perfect. Tomorrow I’m going to have fun again. Being at home, living in my house is easier and I love this course.
“Sometimes I feel nervous but the people help me to relax. They are backing me all the time, which makes me very happy. I have a lot of friends here supporting me, so it’s perfect.
“I want to win this tournament and tomorrow I will try to play my best round. I love to play with Ana. I know her, so I will have fun but try to win.”
One stroke further back, Sweden’s Linn Grant shot 69 and lies in fourth place, a stroke ahead of Gabriella Then from the United States.
Then, the LET Q-School winner, won her first title on the Epson Tour at the Garden City Charity Classic in Kansas last week. She shot an eight-under-par 64 which included six birdies and a hole-in-one at the 17th where she used a 7-iron from 162 yards downhill.
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“It’s great to see that I’m getting closer to being in contention. I hit the ball well today and had a lot of good opportunities so I want to do it again tomorrow,” said the 26-year-old from Rancho Cucamonga, California.
“Obviously I had a good week last week on the Epson Tour and felt confident with my putter. I had good distance control with my approach shots.
“I didn’t have my clubs in the first round, so I felt a little off. On the second day, when I got my clubs, it was such a happy feeling holding my putter and my wedges again that it just boosted it even more. Then I felt like I had what it takes. I got the speed of the greens better today and got used to the course.”
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With a level par round of 72, the halfway leader Tiia Koivisto slipped back into a share of sixth place with Pia Babnik and Manon de Roey. The Race to Costa del Sol leader Maja Stark, Linnea Strom and Leonie Harm share ninth place on nine-under-par.
