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04.08.2007

The world’s No.1 defied a firm course and wind gusting up to 35 miles an hour to post a 54-hole aggregate of six under par 213 and go in to the final round six shots ahead of Sweden’s Linda Wessberg, the winner of this year’s French Open, who added a best-of-the-day 72 to her opening rounds of 74 and 73.
Sweden’s Maria Hjorth also posted a 72, jumping into a tie for third place alongside Korea’s Jee Young Lee, France’s Karine Icher and Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam on one over par 220. However, it was disastrous day for local favourite, Catriona Matthew, who dropped three shots in her opening four holes on her way to a seven over par 80. The Scot goes into the final round on two over par 221, tied alongside America’s Reilley Rankin, Korean’s Se Ri Pak and Eun Hee Ji and the faltering Wendy Ward who could do no better than match Matthew’s 80.
Ochoa started the final round with a one shot lead over Ward and quickly consolidated that position with birdies on the 370-yard par-4 third and the 514-yard par-5 5th. She dropped only her third shot of the week on the 353-yard par-4 seventh but reached the turn in 35 before coming home in one over par 38 after a birdie on the 12th and dropped shots at the 13th and 15th.
“It was one of the best rounds of my career,” declared the Mexican. “I really enjoyed it. You finish really tired when you play in a wind like this but I couldn’t ask for a better position.
“On Monday and Tuesday, all I wanted was to give myself a chance on Sunday,” she added. “I’ve done that and hope to take advantage of it.”
Wessberg, 26, from Gothenburg, was also delighted with the way she played but more reticent about discussing her chances.
“I’m excited,” she said. “The way I’m playing it’s really good fun. I don’t have any hopes for tomorrow. I’m just going to go out there and play.”
Meanwhile, Sorenstam, the world No. 1 before Ochoa, summed up the thoughts of all competitors when asked for her thoughts on the conditions.
“It’s just tough”, she smiled. “You’ve been out there. My hair is all over the place and there’s nothing you can do about it. It’s tough to putt. It’s tough to drive. It’s tough to hit your iron shots.
“I think it’s very, very tough. I’m just going to keep on trying and keep on going,” she added.
England’s Melissa Reid leads the race for the Smyth Salver awarded to the leading amateur in the Ricoh Women’s British Open field. The current Scottish Ladies’ Stroke Play and St Rule Trophy champion from the Chevin Golf Club in Derbyshire posted a fine one over par 73 to go into the final 18 holes on three over par 222 and five shots ahead of compatriot Rachael Bell from Ganton.

3rd August

Catriona Matthew raised the prospect of an emotional home victory when she carded a flawless 68 to move to within one shot of the lead after the second round of the Ricoh Women’s British Open over the Old Course at St Andrews.
The Scot goes into the third round tied with America’s Wendy Ward on five under par 141 and hard on the heels of the World’s No. 1, Lorena Ochoa, who added a level par 73 to her opening 67 and is still the favourite to land the £160,000 first prize.
Further down the leaderboard, defending champion, Sherri Steinhauer, and Sweden’s Annika Sorenstam both posted two under par rounds of 71 to share fourth place with Japan’s Yuri Fudoh, England’s Rebecca Hudson and France’s Karine Isher.
Meanwhile, teenage sensation, Michele Wie, carded a ruinous seven over par round of 80 to miss the cut on her first visit to St Andrews.
Matthew, from North Berwick, had a baby daughter, Katie, last winter but that has not stopped her excelling at this year’s Major Championships. She finished tied second behind Morgan Pressel at the Kraft Nabisco Championship, tied 10th at the MacDonald’s LPGA Championship and tied 16th at the US Open and now has a change to replicate the successes of the likes of Bobby Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros and Tiger Woods by winning a Major title at the Home of Golf.
Matthew started her second round by missing from 8-feet on the first but she birdied the second, the sixth and the seventh to go out in 33 and then fired further birdies at the 160-yard par-4 11th and the 453-yard par-5 17th to complete just the second flawless round of the Championship.
“I’m delighted,” she said. “I played really well today and avoided the bunkers which is important round here.”
“In this wind you want to get off to a good start and that is exactly what I managed today.”
Ochoa produced the other flawless round with her opening 67 but a day later she found herself out in windier conditions and had to settle for a level par 73 that included a three-putt on the 347-yard par-4 closing hole.
“I’m upset by the three-putt on 18 but I’m still very pleased with my round,” said the Mexican who has brought 25 friends and members of her family to St Andrews to watch her try to win her first Major title.
“I can’t wait to be here tomorrow.”
Ochoa goes into the third round as the clear favourite but she has the ominous figures of Annika Sorenstam and Sherri Steinhauer breathing down her neck after both took advantage of the calm morning conditions to post rounds of two under par 71.
Sorenstam has struggled with injuries for most of the 2007 season but slowly but surely seems to be returning to the sort of form that has made her the dominant figure in women’s golf for much of the last decade.
She made two early advances at the 514-yard par-5 fifth, and the 154-yard par-3 third, dropped shots at the ninth and the 12th but then confirmed her challenge with further birdies at the 523-yard par-5 14th and the 453-yard par-5 17th.
“I thought I hit the ball beautifully today,” she said. “I had a lot of chances. I didn’t make as many putts as I’d like to but I should be in a good position to challenge for the title at the weekend.”
Steinhauer has become a perennial challenger at this Championship and this year it is likely to be no different after posting opening rounds of 72 and 71 that give her a great opportunity to add to the Ricoh Senior British Open titles she won in 1998, 1999 and last year.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the scale, Michele Wie will have to wait a little bit longer before she emerges from the slump that she has found herself in for almost a year. She opened encouragingly with a level par 73 but then saw her chances of making the weekend disappear with an untidy second round in which she recorded five bogeys and a triple bogey before finishing with her sole birdie of the day on the 18th.
“Obviously I’m disappointed,” she said. “The whole year I’ve been struggling with my driver but today I felt my driving was real solid. However, my irons weren’t good and that’s what let me down.”
“It’s like a puzzle,” she added. “I’m just getting one bit at a time.”
Spaniard, Belen Mozo, the 2006 British Ladies’ champion, leads the challenge for the Smyth Salver, awarded to the leading amateur who completes all 72-holes. She goes into the penultimate round two shots ahead of England’s Melissa Reid, from Chevin Golf Club, Derbyshire, who earlier this year won the St Rule Trophy over the Old Course.
The six other amateurs to make the cut were Korea’s Hye Yong Choi, England’s Kerry Smith, Rachel Bell and Naomi Edwards, Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist and 16 year-old Scot, Sally Watson from the nearby Elie & Earlsferry Club.

Lorena Ochoa Championship Leader