Fairbanks Ranch Golf Tournament : Daniel Retains Lead Despite Shooting 74 in Third Round

Beth Daniel shot a two-over-par 74 Saturday, with bogeys on two of the last three holes, but retained the lead after three rounds of the $175,000 Kyocera Inamori ladies’ golf tournament.

Daniel, who started the day three strokes ahead of three other golfers, will go into today’s final round with a two-stroke advantage over Pat Meyers.

Meyers shot a 71 Saturday to put her at even-par in the LPGA tournament on the 6,326-yard course at the Fairbanks Ranch Country Club.

Amy Alcott matched Daniel’s 74 to remain three shots off the pace. Grouped with Alcott was Jane Geddes, who shot a 70, and Betsy King, who had a 71.

Three other golfers--Kathy Baker, Muffin Spencer-Devlin and Ayako Okamoto of Japan--are four shots back.

“I feel very fortunate to shoot two-over and still lead the tournament,” Daniel said. “It doesn’t happen very often, but no one did much today. I have a two-shot cushion and I have to be happy about that, but obviously I can’t lie back and die and still win the golf tournament.

“I’ll have to play some good golf.”

Daniel got off to a slow start, hitting her first drive into the water and winding up with a bogey on the par-5 hole. She quickly got things back together with birdies on the third and fourth holes, but played the front nine in even-par 36 after another bogey at No. 5.

She cruised along at par for the day until consecutive bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes left her two strokes under par after 54 holes.

“I feel like I’m hitting the ball well enough so that if I make any mistakes, I can come back,” she said. “I’ll go down swinging if I go down.”