Davies in hot pursuit

Golf

LAURA DAVIES suffered more frustration here yesterday, equalling the overnight leader Florence Descampe's day-old course record, but not quite jumping into contention in the third round of the Ford Ladies Classic.

Starting 10 shots behind Descampe, Davies shot a five- under-par 67, her only blemish being to find a bunker at the last and drop a shot to leave her at three-under, five shots behind the Belgian. It could have been so much better. "That's the easiest six birdies I've ever had," Davies said. "I played brilliantly tee-to-green but did not capitalise on the greens. I haven't holed anything all week."

The world's No 1 woman golfer, Davies, 31, played up to her billing. For two days, she had struggled with adjusting to the pace of the greens on her first appearance of the season in Europe, but she shrugged off her troubles with a smile.

Yesterday she got some reward for her prodigious driving, 40 yards past her playing partners, and accurate approach shots. But of her four front- nine birdies, the longest putt she holed was from eight feet and she missed an opportunity to claim an eagle from 15 feet at the 12th.

The birdie was matched by one at the 14th, where she drove to within 30 yards of the green and hit a delicate wedge to four feet. But at the 16th, she three-putted for a par-five, after the ball lipped out twice. "If I had got to six under, I would've had a chance for the final round. It's disappointing because I needed a really low round today."

Still, Davies, bidding for her 11th victory world-wide in the past 17 months, has only four players in front of her. Descampe mixed an eagle with three bogeys in 72 to lead by one from Lancashire's Lora Fairclough. The former Solheim Cup players, Trish Johnson and Dale Reid, are tied at five under, Reid lowering the course record with a 66 which contained seven birdies.