It’s taken three nights for Hannah Green to get her body clock back in sync after making a mad dash to Melbourne from Florida this week.
The timing could prove perfect for the world No.6 who looms as the best chance to end a 10-year drought of local champions in the Australian Open after a birdie-filled third round, including a vital one on her closing hole, left Green just two shots back from Korean superstar Jiyai Shin.
As the youthful second round leaders felt the pinch of playing on such a significant stage, it was shin, a winner of 64 events worldwide, including two majors, as well as Green and two-time defending champion Ash Buhai who came to the fore.
The trio of proven winners will tee off together in the final group at Kingston Heath on Sunday with Shin on 14-under, Green two back and South African Buhai back another two.
Buoyed by support which she conceded she didn’t think could make that much difference, Green said it could get her over the line on Sunday.
“I am a little bit tired and it is probably one of the more demanding weeks off the golf course than I would experience most of the year,” Green said.
“My husband and the people I’m staying with managed to come out when I made my first birdie on seven, so I said, ‘OK, you’re coming out from one tomorrow’.”
Green reeled off six birdies in a row, going on “autopilot” and would have been the leader going in to Sunday if not for a rare failure on the 17th, her shot from a fairway bunker slamming in to the wall, and rolling back to her feet.
She made double-bogey, but showed the ultimate resilience by hitting back with a final-hole birdie to make the gap on Shin just a single shot.
“After a very slow start the first six holes with both Ash and Cassie (Porter) playing really well, I thought I was kind of out of it at that point already,” he said.,
“Making six in a row obviously changes that very quickly. It was unfortunate the shot I played on 17, but the putt on 18 leaves a good taste in my mouth for tomorrow.”
Shin, the former world No.1 who is a regular visitor to Australia and won the Open in 2013, knows what she is up against in Green.
“[Green] really wants it because she’s Aussie and I played with her two years ago and she missed a couple of shots to get in the lead,” she said
“It’s such a good pairing tomorrow. We’re good friends and good competition.”
Playing just her fourth round as a professional, 20-year-old Queenslander Justice Bosio held a two-shot lead after making an eagle on the par five 10th.
But, having declared her own surprise after even being near the top of the leaderboard after two rounds, Bosio surrendered too many shots on the back nine, including a double-bogey on the 13th.
She signed for a one-over 73, dropping her to eight-under, but still in fourth place, and in line for a high finish.
Hyojin Yang, the 17-year-old Korean amateur who was a shock leader after the second round, struggled in the spotlight, with two double-bogeys in her round of 76, dropping her to six-under, eight behind Shin.
LEADERBOARD
14-UNDER – Jiyai Shin (KOR)
12-UNDER – Hannah Green
10 UNDER – Ashleigh Buhai (SAF)
8- UNDER – Justice Bosio
7-UNDER – Steph Kyriacou
Discussion about this post