Rookie Aine Donegan chasing massive payday at PIF London
Rookie Aine Donegan produced a blistering finish to remain on track for a huge pay-day that could secure her LET card at the $2m PIF London Championship.
The Ennis native (24) was level par for her round with four holes to play at Centurion Club before finishing with four consecutive birdies to card a four-under 69 and head into the final round alone in third place.
"It was good," said the Lahinch talent, who is eight shots behind Canadian teenager Anna Huang, who shot a best-of-the-day 65 to lead by three shots from Charley Hull on 19-under.
Donegan birdied the first and sixth, but after bogeys at the seventh and eighth, she made a key par save at the ninth, then birdied the 10th and bogeyed the 11th before making birdies at the last four holes.
"It's very rare you have a round of golf that doesn't have a squeaky point in the middle," said the former Curtis Cup star.
"I knew I would probably get through that and then [caddie] Harry [Ewing] kept me sane out there as well.
"We had really good communication again today, and he said to me on 14, I want three birdies coming in now, and then I birdied 15, 16 and 17.
"Walking to 18, I said when you asked for three, I wanted four. It was a nice way to finish, and I probably deserved a little bit of that."
Donegan has earned €25,000 from 13 starts in her rookie season so far, with her biggest cheque for €6,256 coming when she finished a season's best tied 16th in the Ford Women's NSW Open in February.
The winner on Sunday will take home $300,000, but with $180,000 for second, $120,000 for third and $45,600 for tenth place, 86th-ranked Donegan has a chance to move well inside the top 70 in the Order of Merit who will retain full playing rights next season.
"It's been great," she said of her rookie season. "A lot of people at home ask me, how is it? Is it tough?
"I always ask how their work life is going. There are ups and downs to every job. I've already been to three continents, so the travel has been great."
Catching Huang (17) will be a challenge for Hull and Donegan after she eagled the 18th for the third day running to fire a bogey-free, eight-under 65 for the low round of the day.
"I actually didn't realise how low I went until I signed my scorecard today, which was pretty cool," said Huang, who is bidding to become the youngest player to win four LET titles.
Hull shot 67 to sit alone in second on 16-under, and while she has her work cut out to overtake Huang, she's aiming to shoot 59.
"I'm going to try to get to 30-under," she said. "Let's go for a 14-under, shall we? Let's go out there, have some fun, make some birdies and then I'll be super excited for my week off."
Anna Foster shot a level par 73 to share 32nd on one over while Sara Byrne slipped to 54th on four over after a 76.
In the HotelPlanner Tour's Scottish Challenge supported by The R&A, Galway's Liam Nolan made up for following an opening 64 with a 74 by making his first career hole-in-one at the eighth in a two-under 69.
"I hit a shot in there yesterday, pretty much right on the spot where it was going to be today," said Nolan, who goes into the final round tied for 42nd with Mark Power (69) on six under at Schloss Roxburghe near Kelso.
"I just got on the tee, kind of jokingly said, 'Let's just hit the exact same shot as yesterday', and I was able to do that, which is mad because it's my first one ever.
"I was getting to a point there where I'd kind of get mad if I hit a good shot and it didn't go in, so now I'm just able to be thankful of a good shot rather than getting mad at them.
"I obviously had a disappointing enough day yesterday after a good first day, but the hole in one definitely softens the blow now.
"So, yeah, just looking to get some momentum and have a good finish tomorrow. "
Nolan and Power are 10 strokes behind Sweden's Christofer Blomstrand, who shot 70 to lead by two strokes from Portugal's Tomas Gouveia on 16-under.
Max Kennedy slipped back to 59th on three under when he triple-bogeyed the par-four 18th to shoot 73.
