Planet Golf — 25 February 2016 by GW staff and news services
Golf Bag: Oosthuizen takes charge

PERTH, Australia — Former British Open winner Louis Oosthuizen shot a 5-under 67 Saturday to take a three-stroke lead after three rounds of the Perth International.

Oosthuizen, making his first tournament appearance in Australia, had a 54-hole total of 15-under 201 on the Lake Karrinyup Cointry Club course.

American Peter Uihlein (71) and Romain Wattel of France (65) were tied for second, with Australia’s Jason Scrivener another stroke back after a 69.

Oosthuizen, who had seven birdies, dropped two shots over his final three holes.

“I lost a bit of concentration on 16, worrying too much on the way about where the pin position was,” he said. “It was right on a slope. Those things happen. As long as they don’t happen when you are tied for the lead with three shots to go.”

Overnight leader Uihlein bogeyed the 18th hole and took six shots on the 135-meter, par-3 12th when he hit his tee shot to the back of the green and struggled to recover before taking two putts to finish.

Australian Brett Rumford was five strokes behind after a 73, while Marcus Fraser, who won last week’s European tour event in Malaysia, shot 65 to move up the leaderboard, six behind Oosthuizen.

Fraser was tied with Mikko Korhonen of Finland (66), Canada’s Richard Lee (68), Mardan Mamat of Singapore (69) and Alexander Levy of France (70).

Shin wins Australian Masters

GOLD COAST, Australia — Former No. 1 Jiyai Shin has added the Australian Ladies Masters to her career victory total after shooting a 4-under 69 for a 3-stroke win Sunday at Royal Pines.

The South Korean, who has twice won the Women’s British Open, led by two strokes after the third round and completed a 14-under total of 278. England’s Holly Clyburn shot a closing 70 to finish in second place.

Tied for third were Nicole Broch Larsen of Denmark (68) and Sweden’s Camilla Lennarth (71), four behind Shin. Katie Burnett of the United States shot 71 and was tied for fifth, six behind.

Canadian Brooke Henderson, the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 11, shot 75 and finished at 5-under, nine strokes behind and tied for eighth.

Shin birdied three of her final four holes in gusty conditions.

“This is a challenging course and I was very focused,” she said. “But I was also relaxed and confident because I have had a lot of experience in the wind.”

Three-time winner Laura Davies of England criticized the revamped Royal Pines layout after closing with a 73 to be 16-over for the tournament.

Davies slumped to one of the worst rounds of her career on Saturday with an 85.

“I don’t like the changes,” said Davies. “The rough is too long, greens far too firm and bunkers very difficult.”

At the end of the day, Shin celebrated with traditional Australian fare.

“A beer and [meat] pie … don’t tell my trainer,” Shin said, laughing.

 

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