Stacy Lee Bregman carded her second successive two-under-par 70 on Saturday in the third round of the Ladies European Tour’s Comunidad De Madrid Ladies Open in Spain as she edged closer to the top 20.
She moved to five-under for the tournament, in a share of 22nd and 12 shots off the lead which was held by Spanish rookie Ana Pelaez. Her course record nine-under 63 gave her a three-stroke lead over France’s Agathe Sauzon who had a 65. Spanish amateur Cayetana Fernandez was third one shot further back after her four-under 68.
Bregman was bogey-free with four birdies through the 17th, and then made an unfortunate double bogey on the 18th. Had she held on there to make par, she would have been at seven-under.
As it is, she shares 22nd with, amongst others, countrywoman Lee-Anne Pace, the South African Women’s Open champion. Pace had a three-under 69 with an eagle, three birdies and two bogeys on her card.
The 24-year-old Palaez from Malaga, playing in her first LET tournament, fired nine birdies for a 54-hole total of 17-under-par. “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.
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.
Sweden’s Linn Grant, who won three times on the Sunshine Ladies Tour, shot 69 and lies in fourth place, a stroke ahead of Gabriella Then, from the United States.
