Luna Lu's Lead Cut To Two After Late 3rd-Round Stumble At BC Women's Amateur
Luna Lu Still Has Her Eyes On The Prize At The BC Women's Amateur - Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf
By Brad Ziemer, British Columbia Golf
Luna Lu still has the lead at the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship, but her margin is not nearly as comfortable as it could have been.
Lu stumbled down the stretch of Thursday’s third round at Pitt Meadows Golf Club. After a birdie on her 15th hole moved the Burnaby resident to nine-under par, Lu played the next two holes three-over par to make things interesting for Friday’s final round.
The 15-year-old Lu sits at six-under par through 54 holes and has a two-shot lead over Victoria Liu of Vancouver and Ha Young Chang of Surrey. What looked like a coronation for Lu in the final round is now anything but.
“I had a bit of a struggle the last few holes,” said Lu, a Pitt Meadows junior member who just completed Grade 9 at Burnaby North Secondary. “I don’t think anything really changed. Maybe I could have eaten a little bit more on the course.”
The nines have been switched for the final two rounds at Pitt Meadows. Lu bogeyed the par 3 seventh hole (her 16th of the day) when her tee shot landed in the left bunker. Her drive on the next hole, the par 4 8th, found water on the left side.
She was forced to take a drop, put her approach into the right greenside bunker and made a double. Just like that, she had gone from nine-under to six-under.
“I hit my five-wood and I was trying to stay on the right side of the fairway, but I pulled it and it went into the water,” Lu said. “I saw it bounce a couple of times and was hoping it may have stopped in the rough.”
Lu, who is a member of Golf Canada’s national junior team and the current B.C. Juvenile Girls champion, did not seem overly stressed by her rocky finish. She carded a one-over 74 on Thursday. “I am pretty satisfied with my round, but I definitely could have had some improvement on those last few holes,” she said.
“I am still pretty comfortable. I just want to keep doing what I am doing, try to hit it on the fairway and make some putts. My putting has been solid all week. I have made some nice birdie putts.”
Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf
Victoria Liu Sits At 4-under Par, Two Behind Leader Luna Lu
Liu, a 19-year-old who plays out of Shaughnessy Golf & Country Club and just completed her freshman year at Princeton University in New Jersey, shot a one-under 72 Thursday that could have been at least two or three shots better.
“It was hard today, definitely a grind,” Liu said. “The front nine I kept it pretty consistent with one birdie and no bogeys. But on the back nine my putting was off. I missed some short ones.”
Liu did make one big putt on her back nine. After driving it right on her 18th hole, she had to chip back out into the fairway. She hit her third shot about 15 feet left of the pin and made the putt for par to stay within two shots of Lu. “I felt good about that par save,” she said.
Image Credit Chuck Russell/Golf Canada
Ha Young Chang Is Tied For 2nd Just Two Back Of The Lead
Chang, a 14-year-old who plays out of Hazelmere Golf Club, had the day’s best round, a one-under 71. She acknowledged being a little surprised at being in contention. “I missed the cut at this tournament last year,” she said.
“I am just going to try and keep my focus on my score and my play tomorrow. I don’t want to worry about what other people are doing. I just want to try and stay positive.”
Defending champion Leah John of Vancouver recovered from a double-bogey on her second hole to shoot a one-under 72 that left her three back and alone in fourth place at three-under par.
“It was a huge grind and doubling my second hole was not helpful at all,” said John, a Marine Drive Golf Club member who just completed her junior year at the University of Nevada.
“I really stayed in it the whole way and I was proud about that. But I definitely knew I needed to do something more today to have less work tomorrow.”
Image Credit Bryan Outram/BC Golf
A Strong Finish Enabled 2021 BC Women's Amateur Champ Leah John To Keep The Lead Within Range
John, who is all of 22, feels a bit like a wily veteran this week. She is surrounded by teenagers on the leaderboard. “I have to forget about that and remember to just play the golf course because I do feel old,” John said with a smile. “It’s pretty funny.”
John made what could prove to be a huge birdie on her final hole, where she finally got a putt to drop after burning edges all day. “I had a lot of opportunities out there but I just didn’t make my putts,” John said. “I hit that last one so firm. It’s a good thing it hit the hole because that thing would have been a long way by.”
The final group in what is the 117th playing of the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship tees off at 8:51 a.m. Friday. Spectators are welcome.
For complete scoring click HERE.