Pace in position in Australia

South Africa’s Lee-Anne Pace finished within striking distance of the leaders in the third round of the RACV Ladies Masters in Australian on Saturday.

The reigning Investec Cup for Ladies champion fired a one-under-par 72 to move within three strokes of the three-way tie at the top, shared by Eun Woo Choi from Korea and England’s Charley Hull and Holly Clyburn.

Hull and Choi both carded two over 75s and Clyburn closed with a 74.

Pace was slow off the mark at the RACV Royal Pines on the Gold Coast with an opening 73, but a second successive 73 moved the 33-year-old inside the top 20.

The world number 32 picked up her first birdie at the par-five third, but bogeys at the fifth, seventh and eighth saw her reach the turn two over.

She cancelled a birdie at the par-three 14th with another drop at the 15th, but birdied the 17th and eagled the par-five 18th to claim a share of 10th alongside Amy Boulden from Scotland and Sweden’s Camilla Lennarth.

Second round leader Rebecca Artis signed for a 79 to fall back to three under but remained in contention, just one shot off the lead.

Norway’s Tonje Daffinrud and 18-year-old Victorian Su Oh are also at three-under after both managing to go under par for the day with one-under 72s.

Another trio of players are two shots off the lead at two-under including Gold Coast-based amateur Rebecca Kay. The 16-year-old high school student pulled off the shot of the day with a chip from light rough for eagle on the par-five 18th.

Pace’s compatriot Connie Chen is tied for 30^th on four over 223 after rounds of 75, 73 and 75.

PHOTO – Lee-Anne Pace; credit Justin Klusener.