DUBAI // Felicity Johnson described it as a “solid” day’s golf, but in truth it was much more than that.
The Englishwoman, who has not won on the Ladies European Tour (LET) in five years, came close on Friday to equalling the course record at the Omega Dubai Ladies Masters, only to sign for an 8-under 64, just a single stroke shy of the mark.
At least she could settle for the lead going into the final round of the abbreviated 54-hole event.
“It was a great day for golf this morning,” Johnson said. “I hit a lot of really close iron shots. I had probably seven birdie putts within four feet, so that always makes the game a little easier.”
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Evidently so. As it is, Johnson approaches the final day of the LET season’s final tournament with a two-shot advantage, sitting pretty at 7-under par with overnight leader Florentyna Parker her closest competitor.
Johnson likes Dubai, despite the two missed cuts in the past three appearances, and is searching to better her best finish in the event: eighth in 2012. That was even more recent than her last victory, which came at the French Open the previous year.
“Not played in as many last groups as I’d like the last few years,” said Johnson, who has a single top-10 this season. “The last win came at end of 2011 – a few years ago now. I’ll draw on some of that experience and any time you’re in contention the last day, it’s going to be fun. You can only control what you can do, which is obviously easier said than done sometimes.”
Parker constitutes the most obvious threat. The two-time winner on the LET failed to build on Thursday’s 67 with an even-par 72, but the omens are good. This week, she has mum Gina as caddie, who helped her daughter to that most recent victory the last time she carried the bag, at the 2014 Italian Open. And mums know best, eh? Well, maybe not.
“She’s behaving, so that’s good,” Parker said. “She has no idea about golf. I tell her where to stand. That’s what we talk about: where to stand for the next shot and not be in anyone’s way.
“Obviously the last time she caddied was in Italy and I won, so she’s getting more expensive each time.”
Hot on their heels for the €75,000 (Dh291,000) winning cheque is Dane Emily Kristine Pedersen and Indian sensation Aditi Ashok, both on 4-under. Then comes an eight-strong group one shot further back, highlighted by Cheyenne Woods. Defending champion Shanshan Feng is 2-under for the week, while American Paige Spiranac struggled for the second successive year to finish 13-over.
Feng, a three-time winner in Dubai, said: “Tomorrow is going to be pretty windy, based on the forecast. Normally I like playing in the wind, and maybe that’s going to give me a better chance. Like I said, I just want top five this week.”
jmcauley@thenational.ae
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