Round Up: Carly Booth sets up chance to end seven-year drought

Carly Booth sits one off lead heading into final round of Canberra Classic. Pic: Ladies European Tour.

Heading into the final round at Royal Canberra, the 25-year-old sits just one shot off the lead after beginning to rediscover the form that saw her win both the Scottish Open and Swiss Open in quick succession in 2012.

“I’m feeling positive about this year,” said Booth after carding seven birdies as she followed up an opening 67 with a 65 for a 10-under-par total to leave the joint-leaders, Anne Van Dam of the Netherlands and Slovakia’s Katja Pogacar, in her sights. “It’s a new year to get myself in gear and I feel it’s on the right track and a lot of it is self-belief,” added the Comrie woman. “I’m starting to believe in myself again.”

Booth is bidding to add to Scottish successes by David Law, Michael Stewart Kevin Duncan, Euan Walker and, most recently, Jane Turner, over the past few weeks.

She said: “My pace putting has been really good. That has helped me visualise the pace and line and that makes such a difference.”

Van Dam, a strong contender for the Solheim Cup at Gleneagles in September, carded a best-of-the-day 63 to move into a share of the lead with Pogacar, the first player from Slovenia to qualify for the LET.

“I’m in a good position and I really like the course,” said Van Dam. “It suits my eye and I’ve been hitting a lot of good shots, so I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I’d sign for another round like that right away.”

On the LPGA Tour, world No 1 Ariya Jutanugarn is closing in on her first success on Asian soil after taking a one-shot lead after the third round in the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore.

Jutanugarn, who won the Aberdeen Standard Investments Ladies Scottish Open at Gullane last summer, moved into pole position on the back of a 66 to sit on 11-under-par at Sentosa Golf Club, where her closest challenger is Australia’s Minjee Lee (67). “I really want to win in Asia because I never have,” said Jutanugarn, a 10-time LPGA Tour winner.

In the men’s ranks, Scott Jamieson sits three shots off the lead in the weather-hit Oman Open on the European Tour after six holes in his third round at Al Mouj in Muscat. One off the pace after an opening 67, Jamieson struggled to a 76 in a strong wind in the delayed second circuit before picking up a shot early on in the penultimate round.

David Drysdale and Bob MacIntyre, the only other Scots to make the cut, both resume the third round on one-over-par.