KARRIE WEBB SPREADEAGLES FIELD IN
AUSTRALIAN WOMEN'S OPEN
World No. 3 Karrie Webb seems to be playing a different course from the rest of the field in the MFS Women's Australian Open championship at Royal Sydney.
The Queenslander opened up a four-shot lead and spreadeagled the field - third-placed Sarah Kemp is nine shots off the pace - with a 68 for 10-under-par 206.
Webb played superbly, opening with a pair of birdies to keep playing partner Yun-Jye Wei at arm's length and then added four more birdies, two of which immediately atoned for her only two bogeys of the day in the tougher conditions.
Wei hails from Chinese Taipei and is a three-time winner on the Japanese Tour. She finished with a second-successive 71 for 210.
First-round leader Sarah Kemp is the only other player currently in red figures, the 21-year-old showing plenty of determination in fighting back to one-under overall with a 71 that included an eagle, a birdie and two bogeys.
Spaniard Marta Prieto and Frenchwoman Virginie Lagoutte-Clement both carded 72s and Korean Sun Ju Ahn a 73 as the trio finished tied for fourth on even-par, while Korean Hee-Young Park (71), Finn Minea Blomqvist (74) and Spaniard Paula Marti (74) share seventh on plus one.
Rebecca Brewerton (72) from Wales, Swede Louise Stahle (75), Italian Sophie Sandolo (75) and Dane Karen-Margrethe Juul (77) are equal 19th.
Defending champion Laura Davies, who went to the cricket with Webb on Friday night to watch England beat Australia, is 18 strokes adrift of the leader on eight-over par after a 74.
Kathryn Imrie from Monifieth is back in a share of 62nd place after a 78 for 230. She had a double bogey at the foufrth in an outward 40 and only one birdie on her card, at the 16th.
Also on 230 is Ireland's Rebecca Coakley who had a third-round 80 (39-41) with a triple bogey 7 at the 12th.
SCOREBOARDPar 216 (3 x 72)
Players from Australia unless stated
206 K Webb 67 71 68.
210 Yun-Jye Wei 68 71 71.
215 S Kemp 66 78 71.
216 M Prieto (Spa) 75 69 72, V Lagoutte-Clement (Fra) 74 70 72, Sun Ju Ahn 70 72 74.
217 Hee-Young Park 69 77 71, M Blomqvist (Fin) 71 72 74, P marti (Spa) 74 69 74.
Other scores:
218 (am) A Simon (SAfr) 69 74 75, B Lincicome (US) 70 73 75.
220 B Brewerton (Wal) 71 77 72, L Stahle (Swe) 70 785 75, K-M Juul (Den) 70 67 77.
222 E Pilgrim (Wal) 71 77 74, N Campbell (Aus) 67 73 82.
224 L Davies (Eng) 73 77 74.
228 L Fairclough (Eng) 73 79 76, G Simpson (Eng) 75 77 76.
230 K Imrie (Sco) 76 76 78, R Coakley (Ire) 73 77 80, D Masters (Eng) 70 82 79.