(Tenerife - Saturday 21st June 2008) -- Last week’s Portugal Ladies Open champion Anne-Lise Caudal from France takes a one shot lead into the final round of the Tenerife Ladies Open at Golf Coast Adeje.
The 24-year-old from Ciboure carded a three-under-par 69 on the third day of the tournament to finish on eight-under-par, one ahead of Austria’s Eva Steinberger and Britons Rebecca Hudson and Melissa Reid.
Caudal posted six birdies and three bogeys on a warm and windy day on the Canary Island with her friend Ludivine Kreutz on caddie duties. Kreutz, a former Solheim Cup player, won the tournament in 2005 when it was last staged at Golf Costa Adeje, but missed the cut by one shot on Friday.
“She knows the course very well so she is a good caddie,” said Caudal, who has not finished outside the top four places over the last three weeks on tour.
Kreutz added: “I was just carrying the bag and I said ask me a question if you want me to help you. I helped a couple of times on the green with the line but that’s it. I just tried to talk to her to help her to relax.
Caudal is aiming to become the first back-to-back tournament winner since defending champion Nikki Garrett won the Tenerife and Spanish Ladies’ Opens at the beginning of last year. “I’m relaxed. I’m playing the same as last week, just keep my strategy, shot after shot and we’ll see,” added Caudal, whose win in Portugal was her first in two seasons on the LET.
Hudson, who had a one-under-par 71, will be aiming to secure her first individual LET title since the 2006 OTP Bank Ladies Central European Open in Hungary, although she has since won on the Women’s African Tour as well as with Trish Johnson in April’s European Cup.
“I didn’t think I’d be one shot off the lead. I did think some-one would get to ten or 11-under-par,” said Hudson, adding: “l didn’t actually play fabulous, especially on the front nine. I got up and down a lot. I didn’t have many expectations; just wanted to go out and play well again.
“I had some chances and I didn’t hole anything for par so hopefully tomorrow, if I play as well as I have done on this back nine and get a few putts going in, I should be okay. If I can hole some putts I’ve got a good chance. We’ll be giving it all we can.”
Reid, who leads the LET’s Ryder Cup Wales Rookie of the Year race by more than €35,000, enters the week placed ninth on the New Star Money List after finishing second at the ABN AMRO Ladies Open in the Netherlands a fortnight ago. She shot a third round of 68 and is aiming to become the first rookie winner on the Ladies European Tour since Finland’s Minea Blomqvist took the 2004 OTP Bank Ladies’ Central European Open in Hungary. Meanwhile Steinberger, who shot a third round of 66, is aiming for her career best finish in three seasons on tour after a previous best of tied ninth at the 2006 Spanish Open.
Spanish amateur Carlota Ciganda, who led by two shots at halfway, carded a 75 and shared fifth place on six-under with fellow Spanish amateur Marta Silva, Denmark’s Lisa Holm Sorensen, Russia’s Maria Verchenova and Finland’s Ursula Wikstrom.
With an 11-under-par total after seven holes, Ciganda held a four shot lead and looked to be running away with it until she took a double bogey at the 14th and a triple on hole-17. At the par-four 17thhole, she hit her drive left off the tee into the ground under repair and took a free drop but when she went to hit her second shot, she hit a large stone just in front of the ball. She then chipped out onto the fairway but her fourth shot hit a palm tree. A pitching wedge to the green followed by two putts meant she signed for a seven and an inward total of 40. Yesterday she came home in 29: 11 strokes better.
“This is golf; these things happen and you always learn from your mistakes,” said Ciganda. “I will do my best tomorrow.”
Sweden’s Louise Stahle had a 73 and was 10th on five-under-par. Caudal, Steinberger and Reid will play together in the final group at midday on Sunday.
