Wahlin grabs an eight stroke lead

5/10/2008

Sweden’s Lotta Wahlin took an eight shot lead into the final round of the Garanti American Express Turkish Ladies Open.

The 24-year-old from Linkoping fired a third round of level par 73 at National Golf Club in Belek, Antalya, to remain on target for her first Ladies European Tour victory on a total of four-under-par.

Her nearest challenger, Spain’s Paula Marti, the 2002 order of merit winner, also had a 73 to finish on four-over in total, with South African Stacy Lee Bregman and Norway’s Marianne Skarpnord two shots back in a share of third.

Wahlin matched three birdies with three bogeys to increase her overnight lead by one after Gwladys Nocera and Emma Zackrisson both carded 81 and slipped down the leader board to tied 17th from a share of second position.

Wahlin, a fourth year Tour player, took the largest 54-hole lead in an LET tournament since Suzann Pettersen won the SAS Masters in Norway by nine strokes, which was a 54-hole event.

Leaderboard – Round 3:

1.   Lotta Wahlin                         SWE  71 71 73 - 4
2.   Paula Merti                            ESP  73 77 73 +4
3.   Stacy Lee Bregman                 SAF  74 80 71 +6
      Marianne Skarpnord               NOR  79 72 74 +6
5.   Amy Yang                             KOR  77 77 72 +7
      Anna Rawson                         AUS  79 74 73 +7
      Johanna Westerberg              SWE  80 72 74 +7
8.   Rachel Bell                            ENG  76 77 74 +8
9.   Laura Terebey                        USA  77 79 72 +9
      Nikki Garrett                          AUS  78 76 74 +9
      Lisa Hall                                ENG  80 74 74 +9
      Iben Tinning                          DEN  77 76 75 +9
      Ludivine Kreutz                       FRA  79 73 76 +9

Source: Ladies European Tour