Section:OBS 2S PaGe:17 Edition Date:190804 Edition:01 Zone: Sent at 3/8/2019 19:33 cYanmaGentaYellowbla
- The Observer
Golf 04.08.19 17
Women’s Open
Ko charges through
in search of history
That Ko Jin-young could enter illus-
trious company today feels like an
understatement. Babe Zaharias,
Mickey Wright, Pat Bradley, Inbee
Park, Ben Hogan and Tiger Woods are
the only players to win three majors in
the same year. Should Ko prevail here,
she will make this group a septet;
with the added quirk of two major tri-
umphs arriving in two weeks. Hogan,
Woods et al did not manage that.
There are, however, similarities
between Ko and Brooks Koepka. The
24-year-old from Seoul has won three
times in standard LPGA Tour events;
like Koepka her obvious specialism
is the majors. There is also a score
to settle in this event, given Ko was
beaten into second place by Park at
Turnberry in 2015.
Given 2019 form, Ko’s charge
through the fi eld was the most strik-
ing aspect of round three. Victories
at the ANA Inspiration and Evian
Championship mean this run would
have been just as notable to other
players in the British Open field.
Ko reached the turn in 33 before
chipping in from behind the 16th
when en route to a 68. Her 10-under
tally leaves her within striking dis-
tance of the lead. Ko watched a birdie
putt at the last dance agonisingly past
the cup.
Ko’s leaderboard placing feels like
a formality. Not so Hinako Shibuno,
who chased down Ashleigh Buhai in
stunning style on Saturday afternoon.
Buhai led by fi ve - and Shibuno by six- before a dramatic turnaround. The
South African’s 72 means she now
trails Shibuno’s 14 under par by two.
The 20-year-old Shibuno is a major
debutante, as not at all apparent dur-
ing her 67.
It is tribute to Carlota Ciganda that
she was not in the least overwhelmed
by the latest Ko major show; until
the 18th. The 29-year-old Spaniard,
playing alongside Ko, was fi ve under
for her round before encountering
awful bother at the bottom of a hedge
to the right of the last. The upshot was
a n ugly double bogey six, meaning a
third 69 and a nine -under total.
“If that drive was one metre to the
left, I had a shot into the green,” said
Ciganda.
Morgan Pressel, hoping for a wild-
card pick for the US Solheim Cup
team, boosted her chances consider-
ably with a third round of 66. Pressel’s
back nine was of 32 shots. At 10 -under
par, she may yet have a strong say in
the outcome of this major.
The bigger picture relates to Pressel
placing herself fi rmly at the forefront
of Solheim permutations as some
of her more illustrious compatriots
struggle. Paula Creamer, Cristie Kerr
and Stacy Lewis all missed the cut
here.
“It would be amazing,” said
Pressel of a potential appearance
at Gleneagles. “I’ve been fortunate
enough to be on fi ve teams. I missed
it last time and that was difficult.
I really am happy that I’m playing
well, playing much better this year
and obviously to have the opportunity
to wear red, white and blue would
be great. Maybe I’m giving [US cap-
tain] Juli [Inkster] something to think
about.”
Georgia Hall’s hopes of a successful
title defence most likely ended within
nine holes yesterday. The champion
from last year at Royal Lytham & St
Annes reached the turn in 37, with a
double bogey at the 9th emphasis-
ing Hall’s frustrations. Back -to -back
bogeys from the 12th meant further
damage. Hall’s 74 – her highest score
of the week by fi ve – slid her back to
four under par and realistically aim-
ing for a top-10 fi nish at best.
Charley Hull looked to be head-
ing in the same direction as Hall
after playing the front half in two -
over-par 38. The Woburn member,
who has commanded massive sup-
port , responded defi antly, though,
with birdies at the 11th, 12th, 13th
and 15th. On the 14th Hull passed
up a glorious opportunity. Hull’s 70
moved her to minus nine. She is still
in the mix.Ewan Murray
WoburnTop of leaderboard
After three rounds
(Eng unless stated; par 72)
-14 H Shibuno (Jpn) 66 69 67
-12 A Buhal (SA) 65 67 72
-11 Park S-h (Kor) 67 70 68
-10 M Pressel (US) 69 71 66
Ko J-k (Kor) 68 70 68
L Salas (US) 69 67 70
-9 C Ciganda (Sp) 69 69 69
B Law 70 67 70
C Hull 67 70 70
-8 Yan Jing (Chn) 71 70 67
Lee J (Kor) 68 71 69England’s Charley
Hull, who remains
in contention, lines
up a putt during
the third round of
the Women’s British
Open at Woburn
PETER CZIBORRA/ACTION
IMAGES/REUTERSDanny
McGuire’s last six
games as a player
will be spent
trying to save
Hull KR from
relegation before
he becomes the
club’s head of
recruitment
NEWS IMAGES/
SHUTTERSTOCKDanny McGuire will not have much
time to indulge in any of the usual
post-retirement benefi ts given how
he will be thrust into a new role
as Hull Kingston Rovers’ head of
recruitment next year but before
then there is still one more battle
for one of the modern game’s most
successful players to win.
McGuire’s illustrious 16-year spell
as a Leeds player saw him hoover
up eight Super League titles and
two Challenge Cups but, while his
former team mates and fellow greats
Kevin Sinfi eld and Jamie Peacock
ended their playing careers with
a Grand Final victory in 2015 (bar
Peacock’s brief return for Hull KR in
2016), McGuire will spend the fi nal
six weeks of his battling for survival
with the Robins.
“ It’s not where you want to be
spending your last few games
before fi nishing,” the 36-year-old
Yorkshireman says. “You want to
be up at the top challenging for
honours, especially when you’ve
been there before, but I’m trying
to make the most of the situation. I
truly believe there’s a lot of potential
here moving forward but we have
to get over the line. I’m relishing the
challenge like I have with any other
in my career.”
The break for last week’s Challenge
Cup semi-fi nals has allowed all fi ve
of the sides split by a solitary win at
the bottom the chance to regroup
before the run-in. For McGuire it also
granted him a moment to appreciate
the signifi cance of what the fi nal six
games of the season represent for
him.
“I’ve had a bit of time to refl ect
it’s my last few games as a player
and it’s very emotional,” he says.
“It’s scary, too, knowing there
won’t be another game after that,
but I do know it’s the right time.
There have been moments I’ve
questioned it but then I’ve played
games this year and not been able
to walk properly afterwards. When
you’ve only ever played rugbysince a young age, it’s tough to
comprehend that it’s ending.”
McGuire concedes he is fortunate
to have comfort in knowing what
he will do next. H aving rejected a
role back at Leeds on their coaching
staff next year, he will head up the
Robins’ recruitment department.
That came as a surprise for a
player who is still regarded as a
legend at Headingley but it is clear
McGuire has an eye on a long-term
rebuilding job in east Hull.
“It’s important for sportsmen- and probably rugby players in
particular – to have some sort of
continuity and I’m quite lucky
in that regard,” he says. “It’s a
passionate club, with passionate
people and we have the potential to
go on and be successful.
“The playing side of things takes
up all my time but I’ve been doing
bits behind the scenes already.
Mentally I’m ready to fi nish – and
physically I want to be able to play in
the garden with my kids for years.”
The eight wins Hull KR have
accrued would ordinarily be enough
to secure survival. By the end of
today’s meeting with Castleford they
could be anywhere between eighth
and bottom given results elsewhere.
Crucially for McGuire the arrival
of Tony Smith, his former coach
at Leeds, gives him confi dence
they can withstand this chaotic
relegation dogfi ght.
“The place needed a freshen -up
and Tony has been great,” he says.
Aaron Bower“We’re confi dent without being
complacent because nine years out
of 10, you’d be safe by now.”
McGuire’s former Leeds and Great
Britain team mate Gareth Ellis came
out of retirement for Hull FC this
season 18 months after hanging his
boots up. Ellis held an off-fi eld role
at Hull before being lured back to
playing: could McGuire do the same?
“Defi nitely not,” he says, laughing.
“I don’t think even a crazy offer of
money would tempt me. I’m ready to
play some golf and rest the body up –
but not before one last hurrah here.”‘It’s scary
knowing there
won’t be another
game but I do
know it’s the
right time’
Danny McGuireRugby league
Robins’ fi ght
for survival
is McGuire’s
last stand
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