Paula Creamer says playing Kingsmill’s tree-lined River Course reminds her a lot of where she played growing up in Pleasanton, California.
So maybe it was no coincidence that Creamer appeared right at home, too, during Saturday’s third round of the LPGA’s Kingsmill Classic.
Creamer carded a bogey-free 65 Saturday to put herself alone atop the leaderboard at 16-under heading into Sunday’s final round.
“I love this golf course,” said Creamer, whose three-round total of 197 (65-67-65) is a 54-hole tournament record. “I always have. It reminds me of the golf courses I grew up playing in California.”
Creamer said the course conditions also play into her favor.
“You have to be a good ball striker around here and have good ball control,” added Creamer. “The last five holes get a little more windy because you’re right next to the water. It’s one of those golf courses where you have to be on your game, and the harder the course, the better I usually play.”
Trailing Creamer are first- and second-round leader Jiyai Shin at 14-under, and Danielle Kang and Dewi Claire Schreefel at 13-under.
Shin, who set a tournament record earlier this week after firing a 9-under 62 in Thursday’s opening round, had her highest round of the tournament on Saturday, shooting a 2-under 69.
“My shot and putting weren’t working today,” said Shin, who began the day bogeying two out of her first four holes, but recovered nicely to shoot a bogey-free 4-under the rest of the way.
“I was thinking it was going to be a long day,” Shin added. “But I made about a 25-foot putt (on hole No. 8), so then I got in good tempo with my putting. I was happy to come back on the back nine.”
Kang, a former two-time U.S. Amateur winner competing in her first year on the professional tour, labeled herself a ‘consistent par player’, and performed to that billing Saturday, finishing 14 holes even par en route to shooting a 1-under 70 following an impressive second-round 64 on Friday.
Schreefel, who turned in a 2-under 69 on Saturday, showed why she’s considered one of the best ball strikers on tour after she eagled her third par five of the tournament on hole No.3.
“In the beginning when she started off with a birdie, par, eagle, I thought she was going to make everything every time,” Kang said of Schreefel, also competing in her first full year on tour. “She doesn’t miss the green much, and when she does she’s just very solid.
“At one point I asked her, ‘how long have you been on Tour?’ because she seems like such a veteran and I still make mistakes here and there.”
Creamer, 26, has nine career victories on tour, but is hoping to end a two-year drought with another sound outing on Sunday. She last won at the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open – her first and only career Major championship – by four strokes over Na Yeon Choi and Suzann Pettersen.
“I haven’t won in two years, which feels like forever, but it also feels like yesterday when I did just win,” Creamer said. “I’ve been in contention a lot, so it’s not that I’m not used to this. I know I’m going to hit some great shots and others will have me scratching my head. You just have to overcome it, and I’ve done that this week.
“I’m sure it’s going to be pretty exciting tomorrow,” Creamer added. “There are some great players all bunched in there, I just have to take care of my own game.”
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