Daly-Donofrio ties record for 3 rounds
She shot a career-best 64 for a three-round 199 to lead by 3 strokes.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
MOBILE, Ala. -- Heather Daly-Donofrio shot a career-best 64 on Saturday to match the course record for three rounds and take a three-stroke lead in the LPGA Tournament of Champions.
She opened with a 69 and had a 66 Friday on Magnolia Grove's rain-softened Crossings course, leaving her at 17 under. This is the first time in her seven-year career she has posted three rounds under 70.
"I've put three days together that are by far the best golf I've ever played," said Daly-Donofrio, whose previous low round was a 65 last year in the Welch's/Fry's Championship.
Her 199 total matched the three-round record Carin Koch set in 2002 on the 6,253-yard Robert Trent Jones layout. The 72-hole record is 20 under by Se Ri Pak, who wound up winning the tournament two years ago.
Daly-Donofrio plans to be aggressive in the final round today.
"You can't play safe on this golf course, so it kind of forces you to be aggressive, which will be good for me," the former Yale coach said. "Regardless of what happens, these are three of the best days I've ever had. When you get this close, though, you want to close it out."
Despite her play and lead over Sophie Gustafson, that's no given
"I have to go out tomorrow and try to do the same thing and try and shoot as low a score as I can," Daly-Donofrio said. "The course isn't going to change and the scores are going to be low again."
This is the first time she has had sole possession of the lead entering a final round. Daly-Donofrio was a co-leader when she teed off on the last day of the 2001 Chick-fil-A Championship but shot a 75.
Gustafson had a 65 Saturday and is alone in second place at 202. She had a chance to get closer, but missed 3-foot birdie putts at Nos. 16 and 18.
Franklin Templeton Shootout
NAPLES, Fla. -- Hank Kuehne and Jeff Sluman combined for a 10-under 62 Saturday and moved into a tie for the lead with Justin Leonard and Steve Flesch after two rounds of the Franklin Templeton Shootout.
Kuehne made a 15-foot birdie putt at No. 17 and rolled in an 8-footer for birdie at the 18th in the best ball format, getting his team to 18 under at Tiburn Golf Club. First-round leaders Leonard and Flesch had a second straight 9-under 63.
Host Greg Norman and Scott McCarron (64) were tied for third with Mark Calcavecchia and Loren Roberts (63) at 15 under. The father and son team of Jay and Bill Haas combined for an 11-under 61 to reach 14 under.
Taiheiyo Masters
GOTEMBA, Japan -- Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke shot a 5-under 67 on Saturday to take a four-stroke lead into the final round of the Taiheiyo Masters
The European Ryder Cup star birdied two of the final three holes to finish three rounds at 18-under 198 on the Taiheiyo Club course.
Japan's Nozomi Kawahara was second after a 66.
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