Two Thai Golfers tied first for the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational after three rounds

Defending Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational champions Cydney Clanton and Jasmine Suwannapura from Thailand  (Team All In), along with Pajaree Anannarukarn also from Thailand, and Aditi Ashok (Spice Girls) sit in a tie for first at -15 after the third round in Midland, Mich.

Both teams posted bogey-free rounds in the alternate shot format, with Anannarukarn and Ashok carding birdies on Nos. 3, 6 and 15 to post a round-three 67. Clanton and Suwannapura recorded their third-consecutive 65 thanks to five birdies on the day, including two on the closing holes.

“We've played good, and I think again today we stayed very patient because we didn't have many good looks until the very end, and then Jasmine made some clutch putts on 17 and 18,” said Clanton, who also held the 54-hole lead with Suwannapura at the inaugural event in 2019 en route to their victory.

“And so we stayed really patient again, so I think that was another good key today.”

Jasmine Suwannapura

“I think we stayed pretty patient. I don't think just because we win two years ago, it doesn't mean that the golf course was easy. Doesn't mean that we're going to be able to play some good golf,” said Suwannapura.

“It's just golf. Like we just stay patient and find opportunities for ourselves to make birdies and have fun with each other.”

After a bogey on the second hole, the team of Mel Reid and Carlota Ciganda (Reidy to Fiestas) rallied to record five birdies on the day to finish with a 66 and in solo third at -14 overall.

Four came on the pair’s back nine at Nos. 11, 12, 14 and 16. One stroke below them sit three teams at -13 in a tie for fourth: 2020/21 Tour rookies A Lim Kim and Yealimi Noh, Tour winners Jeongeun Lee6 and Mi Jung Hur (MI6) and Thai sisters Ariya and Moriya Jutanugarn.

Eight teams are five shots out of the lead at -10, including Jessica and Nelly Korda, who followed up their 69 during the best-ball format on Thursday with a 66 that included four-straight birdies from Nos. 3-6. Major champion Cristie Kerr and partner Stephanie Meadow (Team A Z) are also among those at -10, and know how important going low during fourball is for the final round.

“You literally could shoot 10 to 14-under in best ball. I think we're going to have to bring it tomorrow to have a chance to win. It'll be nice to be a couple groups back and have less eyeballs on us. But if we can get off to a hot start and continue, there is no reason why you couldn't get most of them,” said Kerr, who is a nine-time U.S. Solheim Cup Team veteran.

“Weather is supposed to be good, and we're just going to go out there and do our best.”

WITH A WIN:

Cydney Clanton would be the first player since Lydia Ko (2012, 2013) to win the same event twice as her first two wins on Tour, after winning the Dow GLBI with Jasmine Suwannapura in 2019.

It would be the first successful title defense for Clanton and Suwannapura since Danielle Kang (2018, 2019 Buick LPGA Shanghai).

It would be Suwannapura’s third-career victory on Tour.

Aditi Ashok and Pajaree Anannarukarn would be the fifth and sixth Rolex First-Time Winners of 2021