Emily Kristine Pedersen leads The Annika by 3 shots after 3rd round

BELLEAIR, Fla. — Emily Kristine Pedersen showcased exceptional form with three birdies in her final five holes, shooting a notable 6-under 64 during the third round of The Annika. This incredible performance propelled her to a three-shot lead on Saturday. However, intense competition saw Pedersen record only the seventh-best round of the day.

Despite maintaining a clean scorecard and producing six birdies, Pedersen was unable to solidify her lead at Pelican Golf Club, as her competitors continued to close in on her.

Notably, Amy Yang managed an outstanding 61, while two-time major champion Lilia Vu, along with Patty Tavatanakit and Alison Lee, all scored an impressive 62. In addition, two other players shot 63.

Pedersen managed to secure some much-needed breathing space late in the round. Her drive on the 16th hole defied expectations and skipped out of a bunker onto the fairway, allowing for a straightforward wedge shot. Then, on the 18th hole, her tugged pitching wedge found a slope on the left side of the green, rolling down to 6 feet for a final birdie.

With a total of 18-under 192, Pedersen leads by three shots over Yang and Vu heading into the final round. She revealed that her mental coach advised her to focus on leading by more shots at the end of the day than when she started.

“To kind of have something for me to chase, and to just focus on what I was doing and not looking at the others,” Pedersen explained. “So that’s what I just tried to do. Tried to make more birdies on the weekend than I did the first two days, and that kind of kept me chasing even though I was in the lead.”

Pedersen seeks her first LPGA Tour title and appears poised to reach the LPGA finale next week. Ranked at No. 80 in the Race to CME Globe, she can advance to the top 60.

Vu is comfortably at No. 2 and will retain that spot, unable to surpass Celine Boutier, who isn’t competing this week. However, the battle for LPGA Tour player of the year, which is points-based, has Vu only three points behind.

Vu admitted that she never contemplated winning player of the year until after clinching the Women’s British Open for her second major of the year.

“Then started thinking about it, started playing worse,” Vu said. “So now I don’t think about it. I just try to play well.”

Tavatanakit, who was on the bubble after a 72 in the second round, made a strong comeback with her 62, placing her in contention for the championship. Six players are within five shots of Pedersen going into Sunday.

Lexi Thompson may be heading into her final LPGA round this year. Despite shooting 66, she fell eight shots behind and is currently No. 88 in the Race to CME Globe. Likewise, Lydia Ko, the winner of the season finale and its $2 million prize last year, is far from defending her title. She stands at No. 101 and is 11 shots back after shooting 67.