BELLEAIR, Fla. (AP) — Linn Grant rolled in a pair of 15-foot putts among her five birdies that carried her to a 5-under 65 on Saturday for a one-shot lead in The Annika as she tries to extend her streak to six years with at least one win worldwide.
Grant missed only one green and two fairways at Pelican Golf Club, picking up her last birdie when she got up-and-down from a greenside bunker on the par-5 14th.
She was at 14-under 196, one shot ahead of Jennifer Kupcho, who also played bogey free on a pristine afternoon in the Tampa Bay area.
Nataliya Guseva of Russia made all seven of her birdies over the final 10 holes for a 63 that left her two shots behind along with Evian Championship winner Grace Kim (68).
“I hit a lot of greens. I think that's been my secret this week,” Grant said. “Just really being very confident with my iron game, feeling like I can really go after pins. I'm having a lot of fun out there.”
She has gone 35 holes without a bogey heading into the final round, where the 26-year-old Swede will go after her second LPGA win. Grant, who played at Arizona State, has won on the Nordic Golf League twice as an amateur, the Sunshine Ladies Tour in South Africa, the Ladies European Tour and the LET Access Series dating to 2020.
Grant is running out of time for a win in 2025, with only this event and the CME Group Tour Championship left on the LPGA schedule.
Kupcho stayed with her for so much of the day, though she complained about having to wait on too many shots. Kupcho attributed the pace to the course playing about 100 yards shorter.
“I think the setup was still fine. They do a really good job setting up this golf course every year,” Kupcho said. “It’s a little frustrating when you’re the leaders or in the back of the pack and having to wait on every shot.”
Defending champion Nelly Korda, winless this year after seven titles a year ago, overcame some early bogeys with three birdies in a four-hole stretch toward the end of her round to move closer to the lead. But her 25-foot birdie putt on the 18th grazed the lip, and she missed the 4-foot par putt coming back and shot 68.
Korda, who shot a 63 in the second round to get within three of the lead, was six shots behind.
“Today was kind of like the first day where nothing was really kind of going but then found a few maybe on the last few holes and then ended the round poorly,” Korda said.
