Anne Van Dam continued her consistent week in Ireland and a round of 70 (-2) was enough to give her a one-shot lead heading into the final day of the KPMG Women’s Irish Open.
The Dutch star began her day with a birdie at the first before making a bogey on the second, but rolled in birdies at four and six to make the turn in 33 (-2).
Despite two more dropped shots on the back nine, Van Dam also made two birdies at 15 and 16 for a round of two-under and to put her on 11-under-par at the top of the leaderboard.
“It was a crazy day! It was definitely playing the toughest out of the three days so far, it was colder and very gusty and windy,” she said.
“Plus, the wind was in a slightly different direction, so I was guessing a little bit on some shots. It didn’t work out the best for me but that’s golf and it’s also golf that after a round like this you can still be leading.
“Overall, I think they did a good job with where they put the pins and where the tees were. There were definitely chances out there even though it was so windy. Maybe I’m a little bit disappointed that I didn’t get a few more in, but what can I say I tried my best every shot and this is where I ended up.”
There has been a change in coaching and mindset for Van Dam over the past year and she has gone back to basics and is focusing on playing golf rather than the technicalities of the sport.
She continued: “It’s so easy with golf to get super technically and go back to the range and go back to the putting green and do your drills and work with putting mats and all that stuff. After last year, I was like what am I actually doing? I’m so far away from just being comfortable and just playing golf and seeing the shots that I hit.
“As a kid, I would just stand out there and if I saw a fade, I would hit a fade and if I saw a draw, I would hit a draw. That’s what I went back to this off-season, I said I’m not going to work with any coaches and do my own thing and see how it goes and get comfortable. That’s what golf is all about. You can play it one hundred million ways and I’ve gotten the joy back because of that as well and the only person I’m truly playing for is myself.
“It’s definitely been a big change. Even today, I didn’t play my best and 17 – what can I say about that! Nothing good and I go to 18 and try to hit a good drive and put a good swing on it and I’m getting a lot better at that and I’m proud of that change this year.”
It’s a stacked leaderboard behind the five-time LET winner with six players tied for second place on 10-under-par with one round left of the tournament.
Sweden’s Jessica Karlsson produced a great round of 67 (-5) on day three to move just one shot behind the leader while it was also a good day for England’s Annabel Dimmock who shot a 68 (-4).
The duo are joined by Denmark’s Nicole Broch Estrup, Finland’s Ursula Wikstrom, Spain’s Carmen Alonso and Sweden’s Moa Folke.
After rounds of 70 (-2) and 66 (-6) on the first two days, Broch Estrup followed up with another round of 70 to be within touching distance at the end of day three.
Six players are just two shots off the lead in a share of eighth place at the end of the third round including home favourite Leona Maguire, who fired the best round of the day with a 65 (-7) to move to nine-under-par.
Maguire sits on nine-under-par alongside Austrian duo Sarah Schober and Christine Wolf, England’s Felicity Johnson, Czechia’s Klara Spilkova and Denmark’s Smilla Tarning Soenderby.
