This article first appeared on SportsLook, JAPAN Forward's dedicated sports website.
Overnight leader Momoko Ueda maintained her one-stroke lead in the third round of the LPGA Tour's Japan Classic on Saturday, November 5 with a birdie on the final hole.
Ueda was even with Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh heading to the par-5 No. 18 where she made a clutch birdie putt for a 4-under 68 to hold on to her one-stroke lead from the second round at Seta Golf Course in Otsu, Shiga Prefecture.
Ueda had birdies on two of her first three holes, but bogeys on Nos. 5 and 7 left the 36-year-old at 10-under. Things picked up after the turn when she had birdies on 10, 12 and 13 before a birdie-bogey-birdie finish to improve to 14-under.
"My shots were not so good like [the] same as yesterday," Ueda said. "I missed a short putt, and it made me unable to play well today. Then, I talked with my caddie about today's game plan and decided to get birdies as much as possible in par-5 holes in the back 9."
Read the full story on SportsLook.
Author: Jim Armstrong
The author is a longtime journalist who covered sports in Japan for over 25 years. You can find his articles here.
