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Torrid third round sees Stephanie Meadow drop back at Kroger Queen City Championship

Meadow struggled on day three at Kenwood Country Club
Meadow struggled on day three at Kenwood Country Club

A difficult third round for Stephanie Meadow saw the Northern Irish golfer drop out of top-20 contention at the Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati.

The Antrim native had been nine shots off the lead in a tie for 19th heading into Saturday's action but carded a four-over 76 to fall back to one under and 14 shots off new leader Minjee Lee of Australia.

Meadow managed just one birdie on the par-4 10th in a round littered with five bogeys, four of which came on the front nine.

In contrast, at the summit, Lee carded a seven-under-par 65 to assume the lead.

She sits at 15 under with a two-shot lead over Charley Hull (third round 68) and Taiwan's Peiyun Chen, who shot a disappointing 73 after owning the 36-hole lead.

Morgane Metraux of Switzerland is solo fourth at 12 under with her third-round 70. Madelene Sagstrom (68) and Japan's Yuka Saso (70) are four shots off the lead in a tie for fifth at Kenwood Country Club.


LEADERBOARD


Lee is the tournament's third different leader. China's Ruixin Liu led by a stroke after the first round, but she shot 81 on Saturday to fall to a tie for 47th.

Lee started strongly, recording birdies on her first three holes of her round. She added four more birdies on the back nine and turned in a clean card for her 65.

"Obviously it's nice to get off to a fast start," she said. "I just wanted tomake more birdies after that. I think it was just playing the course shot by shot, and coming down the last few holes, it got quite gusty and windy."

Sagstrom played her way into contention with a four-under 68 despite a dubious start. She bogeyed the par-4 first and also bogeyed the eighth, making the turn at even par. But an eagle on the 10th and two birdies - including the closing hole - coming in vaulted the Swede seven spots up the leaderboard on moving day.

"I thought it was really tough," Sagstrom said. "It got breezy. It got firm. A lot of calculations. My brain is kind of tired at the moment. It was also very, very slow, so no real momentum. I'm very happy. I think I struck it well when I needed to, and I took my medicine when I needed to.

"I putted quite OK. My speed was, I guess, maybe not so great, but I made all the second putts."

Thailand's Ariya Jutanugarn recorded a 68 to move up seven spots into solo seventh at 10 under. Defending champion Ally Ewing (71) sits T15 at six under.

Additional reporting: Reuters

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