Leona Maguire is now fighting for her second career Top-10 after a third-round 73 left her 10 strokes behind US Solheim Cup star Austin Ernst in the LPGA Drive on Championship in Florida.

The Slieve Russell touring professional was tied for sixth, six shots off the pace at halfway. But she followed an early birdie at the par-three fourth with bogeys at the ninth, 10th and 12th to slip down the leaderboard.

But after rolling in a 10 footer for a closing birdie in what was a 33-putt round, she’s tied for 11th on three-under-par and only four shots off third place at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club.

Ernst shot a 69 to lead by a shot on 13-under from Jennifer Kupcho (70) with Albane Valenzuela (66), Patty Tavatanakit (69) and Jenny Coleman (70) tied for third on seven-under.

Stephanie Meadow made two birdies and a bogey in a 71 to share 43rd on one-over.

Scores

LEADERBOARD

Player To Par Score

1 Austin Ernst -13 67-67-69

2 Jennifer Kupcho -12 67-67-70

T3 Albane Valenzuela -7 70-73-66

T3 Patty Tavatanakit -7 70-70-69

T3 Jenny Coleman -7 70-69-70

T11 Leona Maguire -3 69-71-73

ERNST HOLDS SOLO LEAD, KUPCHO WITHIN ONE AFTER LATE EAGLE
Two players have separated themselves from the field in the LPGA Drive On Championship presented by Volvik at Golden Ocala, as Austin Ernst holds a one-shot advantage over Jennifer Kupcho at 13-under par overall. It all sets up for a showdown on Sunday in Marion County at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club.

“I didn’t quite have it ball striking-wise today. Hit a few good shots but then kind of sprayed a few drives and had to work a little bit harder than I have had to work the past couple of days,” said Ernst, a member of Team USA at the 2017 Solheim Cup. “The chip-in on No. 9, I actually kind of chunked a pitching wedge in the fairway, then got a little lucky. I flew that one farther than I wanted to but it was accurate so it one-hopped straight in. That was fun.”

Even though Ernst wasn’t at the peak of her game on Saturday, her maturity and course management shined, especially compared to years past. The two-time LPGA champion carded a 3-under par 69 which featured four birdies including the chip-in. 

“I couldn’t have done that a few years ago. I don’t think I would have been as patient as I was today,” Ernst said. “When the wind picked up on the back nine, we had a few longer shots than we’ve had and a few pins that were a little tougher to get to.

“I was just trying to make as many birdies as possible to separate even more. I didn’t quite hit it close enough on the back nine after [birdie on] No. 11 to be able to do that but to come in and have some easy pars after a few of the shots I hit, I was pretty happy with that.”

Ernst will need to bring her A-game tomorrow with Kupcho within one at -12 overall. The Wake Forest University graduate showcased her grit with an eagle on No. 18 this afternoon to close out a 2-under 70 and signal game on to her competitor.

“I actually was standing on the tee and was like, ‘I feel an eagle coming on,’ so it was pretty cool to do it but when I got down there in the fairway, I definitely didn’t think it would be possible to get close,” said Kupcho, who is searching for her first career LPGA Tour victory. “I was not aiming anywhere close to where my ball went but it happened to go right at the pin and carried the water by a couple of yards. I was able to make the putt.

“I didn’t know for sure if I could carry the water on the line I took, but I knew it would be close. I focused on the line and my caddie picked out a great spot, so focused on making a good stroke.”

Rounding out Sunday’s final grouping is 2020/21 LPGA Tour rookie Albane Valenzuela. She is -7 overall and tied for third with Jenny Coleman and fellow rookie Patty Tavatanakit.

LPGA Drive On Championship—Inverness winner Danielle Kang will complete the penultimate grouping with Coleman and Tavatanakit. She carded a bogey-free 69 today and sits in a tie for sixth at 5-under par overall with Carlota Ciganda. 

WITH A WIN

• Austin Ernst would earn her third career LPGA Tour title and first since the 2020 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G.

• Ernst would capture her first title after holding the 36-hole lead in a tournament; it would also be her second win when holding the 54-hole lead (the Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G is a 54-hole event).

• The $225,000 winner’s check at the LPGA Drive On Championship presented by Volvik at Golden Ocala would slide Ernst over the $4 million threshold in career earnings with $4,127,272

• Ernst, Jennifer Kupcho or Jenny Coleman would become the third American to win on the LPGA Tour in 2021, joining Jessica Korda (Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions) and Nelly Korda (Gainbridge LPGA)

• Albane Valenzuela, Patty Tavatanakit, Kupcho or Coleman would become the first Rolex First-Time Winner of the 2021 LPGA Tour season

• Kupcho would surpass the $1 million threshold in career earnings at $1,153,180 in her third year on Tour

• In her 25th career start on the LPGA Tour, Coleman would secure her first professional victory

AFTER A YEAR OF DOWNS, ALBANE VALENZUELA IS ON THE WAY UP

Albane Valenzuela turned professional in November of 2019 with grand ambitions. She never expected what happened in 2020.

First, a nerve-related injury prevented her from practising. Next, COVID-19 put a halt to her rookie year. Then last November, her appendix nearly ruptured, requiring emergency surgery and forcing the clubs away yet again. Finally, weeks before LPGA Drive On Championship presented by Volvik, the 23-year-old caught the coronavirus.

None of it has held her back, though. The Stanford University graduate sits in a tie for third at 7-under par overall with 18 holes to play at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club.

“I spent a lot of time in bed for the past five months,” said Valenzuela with a smile, emblematic of her positive attitude and resilience. 

Six birdies highlighted a bogey-free third round, but Valenzuela found the day a memorable one for another reason. She bested her younger brother’s score of 68 by two strokes, which he shot for a U.S. Juniors tournament in 2018. 

“This is a pretty special place for me. I caddied for my brother here when he qualified for U.S. Juniors and he shot 68 and won in a playoff with a birdie,” said Valenzuela. “This entire week he was like, ‘You just have to beat my score.’ So we had this family competition going. I'm kind of happy I beat him.”

TWIN DUTY FOR COLEMAN SISTERS AT LPGA DRIVE ON CHAMPIONSHIP

Who the heck is Jenny Coleman? Glance down the leaderboard of the LPGA Drive On Championship presented by Volvik and there are a slew of familiar names going into Sunday’s final round. Austin Ernst, the leader by one as the sun set on Saturday, is looking for her third win. Jennifer Kupcho of Augusta National Women’s Amateur fame enters Sunday a shot back while looking for her first. Albane Valenzuela, one of the more heralded rookies of 2020 whose first season was derailed with injury and illness, vaulted up the leaderboard and played herself into the final group. 

Tied for third with Valenzuela is the long-hitting UCLA star Patty Tavatanakit, who played well at the Gainbridge LPGA. She has PGA Tour winner Grant Waite as her coach and caddie. 

But also tied for third and in the penultimate group on Sunday is a player who had many fans scrambling for their nearest search engine.

Jenny Coleman?

She knows she’s unknown. Given her soft voice and camera-shy demeanour, the 28-year-old is okay with it, at least for the time being. But that doesn’t mean she isn’t ready to burst into the spotlight. Jenny first earned her LPGA Tour card in 2017, finishing tied for 29th at Q-School. She bounced back to the Symetra Tour where her best finish was a runner-up at the 2019 Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic in New York. She finished third on the Symetra Tour money list that year, earning her status for 2020 and 2021. But having never finished better than tied for 26th in an LPGA Tour event and making only the fourth cut of her career, Coleman has the calluses of a consummate grinder. She is unflappable and hardboiled. And, she believes, she is ready. 

But there is an even cooler part of Jenny’s story, one that makes her stand out even more than those better-known names ahead of her on the leaderboard. 

It is her mirror image.

Walking beside Jenny and working with her on the range this week in Ocala is her identical twin sister, Kristin, one minute older and one inch taller, who has been Jenny’s coach since the girls were in middle school. 

But the reverse is also true. Kristin Coleman, who played at the University of Colorado with her sister, has competed on the Symetra Tour since 2015. Jenny is her coach.

“At four or five years old, we started the game with our family,” Jenny said. “Our dad would take some lessons and tell us stuff. Then we got to an age where it was like, ‘Okay, I think we can start doing this on our own.’ High school, college, pro, we’re always at the course at the same time and we can...”

At that point Jenny stopped talking and Kristin jumped in to complete the thought the way only a twin can. “We see each other every day and we can kind of see what changed all of a sudden (in our games) and kind of pinpoint it fairly easily,” Kristin said.

“Yeah,” Jenny added.

Their mannerisms, speech patterns, inflections, everything is identical. They are the kind of twins who could have a lot of fun fooling friends if they chose. They grew up just outside Los Angeles and still live with their parents in Rolling Hills Estates in suburban L.A. They are the only siblings and they like the same food – steak or Mexican – and have the same tastes in just about everything. Even their hairstyle is an exact match.

To read the full story from Steve Eubanks on lpga.com, visit:
https://www.lpga.com/news/2021/twin-duty-for-coleman-sisters-at-lpga-drive-on-championship

PATTY TAVATANAKIT MAKING SHOT(S) HAPPEN AT GOLDEN OCALA

After a tied for fifth performance last week at Gainbridge LPGA, 2021 is already off to a different start for 21-year-old rookie Patty Tavatanakit, who made seven of 14 cuts during the 2020 campaign with one top-10 finish of tied for ninth at the Marathon LPGA Classic presented by Dana.

Heading into the final round of the LPGA Drive On Championship presented by Volvik, the Thai player competing with a goal of controlling more of her shots is 7-under par overall and tied for third.

“I actually hit one cut shot today, which was my goal coming into this week, to hit more shape-like shots. I didn't really hit many cut shots last week. I just played the ball right to left, straight right to left,” said Tavatanakit. “But this week, you know, it's a little hard to seek the pin, so I positioned myself well and I decided to hit this one cut shot in there and it was really nice.”

What is also nice is starting out the new season strongly by putting herself in contention. Knowing that the final round at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club is the task in front of her before a two-week break, Tavatanakit hopes to finish how she started. 

“It feels nice to have a solid game at the start of the season. Even though there is a lot of golf left, I'm just going to keep the pedal down and play smart, not conservative but smart, and take chances when I have them,” said Tavatanakit. “I do know that if I'm patient enough, the course will open up and there are going to be birdie opportunities. I'm going to stick to my gameplan tomorrow, do the same thing, play steady golf and just keep being positive on the course.”

TAKING MONEY OFF A WORLD GOLF HALL OF FAMER, THAT’S WHAT ASHLEIGH BUHAI DOES

Ernie Els is a 19-time PGA TOUR winner and former World No. 1, just a few accomplishments by “The Big Easy” that led to his induction into the World Golf Hall of Fame (2011). Ashleigh Buhai is still hunting for her first LPGA Tour title but the 2016 Olympian recently took some cash off her fellow South African.

Buhai and her husband, David, have not been back to their native country since last summer because of the coronavirus pandemic. During the offseason, they found a place in Palm Beach Gardens to call their home base in the United States and establish a more concrete schedule around their travel. It’s an area loaded with South Africans including Els, Erik van Rooyen and Branden Grace, who won the Puerto Rico Open last week on the PGA TOUR. 

“I’ve managed to play with a lot of them and all the guys,” said Buhai, who is tied for eighth at 4-under overall in the LPGA Drive On Championship presented by Volvik at Golden Ocala after a third-round 72. “Our first round out was fun. I played with Ernie and Branden [at Turtle Creek Club] and had nine birdies around. They were pretty impressed with that. I hadn’t touched a club in four weeks.”

Even with a little rust, Buhai managed to collect $50. It helped her prepare for the 2021 LPGA season. She collected a tied for eighth finish at Gainbridge LPGA and is in position to improve on that this week with 18 holes remaining at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club.

“It’s just game time, playing with good players. When you’re playing with him [Els], obviously we all wanted to win a game, even if it’s for 20 bucks,” Buhai said. “I think it was good preparation for me to have that competition and playing with some great players coming into the year.”

Growing up, Buhai had a life-size poster of Els in her bedroom. She first met her childhood idol at the 1997 South Africa Open, which was contested at Glendower Golf Club just five minutes from Buhai’s family home. He signed the poster. Since then, their paths have crossed at various points over the years but now they’re playing casual golf and one day soon, Els might be the one asking for an autograph.

“Ernie is just so smooth and still amazing how good he hits it at 51 years old,” said Buhai, a three-time Ladies South African Open winner. “With the grain in Florida, I'm normally a really good chipper of the ball but it's something I've always struggled with here. I watched him closely and asked him a few tips, and obviously, he's really renowned for his bunker play, so I think playing with him and seeing how he chips on the grain has really helped me.”

Rolex Rankings No. 33 Austin Ernst (67-67-69)

• Ernst hit eight of 14 fairways and 11 greens in regulation, with 25 putts

• This is the fourth time in her career she has held or shared the lead after 54 holes; the most recent occurrence was at the 2020 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship pres. by P&G (a 54-hole event which she won)

• This is Ernst’s third event of the 2021 season; her best finish so far was T17 at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions presented by Insurance Office of America

• Ernst is in her ninth season on the LPGA Tour; she has two career wins at the 2014 Cambia Portland Classic and 2020 Walmart NW Arkansas Championship pres. by P&G

• She was a member of Team USA at the 2017 Solheim Cup with a 2-2-0 overall record

• Won the 2011 NCAA Championship individual title at LSU; graduated in 2014 with a degree in Business Management

• Hosts the annual Austin Ernst Charity Pro-Am event to benefit Safe Harbor, a domestic violence shelter

Rolex Rankings No. 21 Jennifer Kupcho (67-67-70)

• Kupcho hit 11 of 14 fairways and 14 greens in regulation, with 31 putts

• Her 54-hole total 204 is the fourth-lowest of her career; she carded a 199 at the 2020 ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer

• Kupcho is in her third season on the LPGA Tour and owns a career-best result of runner-up at the 2020 ShopRite LPGA Classic presented by Acer

• This is Kupcho’s second event of the 2021 LPGA Tour season; she captured a T21 finish at the second annual Gainbridge LPGA

• She won the 2020 Colorado Women’s Open

• In 2019, Kupcho won the inaugural Augusta National Women's Amateur

• She turned professional in 2019 and made her pro debut at the U.S. Women’s Open that year; she deferred LPGA Tour membership after 2018 LPGA Q-Series so she could finish her senior year at Wake Forest University