By John Strege
However one crunched the numbers at one point on Saturday, they invariably added to a Sunday victory for Jin Young Ko in the ANA Inspiration.

Take a lead of five with 26 holes left and factor in a final-round scoring average of 66.2 this year and go ahead and affix her name to the Walk of Champions adjacent to the 18th green of the Dinah Shore Tournament Course at Mission Hills Country Club.

Or not yet. Ko stumbled en route to her Sunday victory lap by making a double-bogey when she hit her tee shot into the water on 14, followed by a bogey on 15. She’ll take only a one-stroke lead over 36-hole leader I.K. Kim into the final round.

Still, she made up five strokes on Kim, who began the final round with a three-stroke lead, four ahead of Ko. A four-under par 68 from Ko still equalled the second-best score of the day (Alena Sharp had a 67). Kim had her own issues on the front nine, including a double-bogey on the par-5 ninth hole resulting in a five-stroke deficit heading to the back nine. But she played the final nine in two under and posted a one-over 73.

“It’s okay,” she said of the tee shot at 14. “I’m not a robot. I’m human. Don’t think about bad things. Just looking for good things. I had a great round still. Yeah, sometimes it happens on number 14 and 15 also, but I had birdie on 17. It was really pressure. Doesn’t matter. I’m not afraid of everything, so I’m just looking forward to Sunday.”

The numbers still are working in Ko’s favour, given her ownership of final rounds this season: 65, 65, 69, 68 and 64. Any of those numbers likely would assure a victory for the 23-year-old South Korean, who already has won three times in her short LPGA career.

Ko, fifth in the Rolex Rankings, has been on a remarkable roll. She has finished second, tied for 29th, tied for third, won the Founders Cup two weeks ago, and tied for second in the Kia Classic last week.

She is seeking to become the fourth Korean to win here, following So-Yeon Ryu in 2017, Inbee Park in 2013, Sun-Young Yoo in 2012, and Grace Park in 2004. But so is Kim, who also wants to settle a score with the tournament. Recall that in 2012, she missed a one-foot putt to win here and lost to Yoo in a playoff.

The two will be in the final pairing on Sunday. “We have a really great relationship,” Ko said. “She’s amazing. So I will really enjoy with I.K. tomorrow.”

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Fancy the best seat in the house to watch the stellar field assembled for the 12th edition of the rebranded Omega Dubai Ladies Classic? Here’s your chance.

Tournament organisers Golf in Dubai are calling for volunteers to ensure the smooth running of the $500,000 Ladies European Tour season-ender from Dec. 6-9. Around 150 golf followers will be required to act as marshals, scorers, TV production assistants, scoreboard carriers and carry out other behind-the-scenes duties.

Related: Women’s British Open winner I.K. Kim and long drive champion Troy Mullins headline Omega Dubai Ladies Classic field

“We spend a great deal of time and energy in making sure we have the best players available for the event. The role of the volunteers is crucial in continuing to showcase Dubai as the ‘city of golf’, as we strive to make it the most successful tournament on the Ladies European Tour,” said Tournament Director David Spencer.

“None of this would be possible without the assistance of the volunteers, and we are calling on the UAE golfing community as well as international supporters as a whole to play their part in ensuring we put our best foot forward as a country.”

Knowledge of golf and its etiquette is essential for volunteers who will be deployed in a variety of key positions under the expert guidance of a highly experienced marshal management team.

“We will be delighted to welcome back experienced marshals and volunteers, but encourage newcomers to participate as well,” said Spencer.

If you wish to volunteer, visit www.dubailadiesclassic.com for online registration. Preference will be given to those volunteers who can commit to two or more days.

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With a swing speed three miles faster than the average PGA Tour player (116mph compared to 113mph) and an eye-popping competition best hit of 402 yards, long drive champion Troy Mullins is sure to be a huge drawcard in more ways than one at the Ladies European Tour’s (LET) $500,000 season-ender from Dec. 6-9.

At least that’s what Tournament Director David Spencer is banking on after granting the Californian her 72-hole pro event debut at Emirates Golf Club.

Spencer took plenty of heat for handing Paige Spiranac her pro debut at the then Dubai Ladies Masters in 2015 and repeating the sponsors’ invite visit last season. He unashamedly admits the social media audience that accompanies Spiranac everywhere was a key driver behind the decision, to the point where the American is returning to the emirate as official starter for the men at January’s Omega Dubai Desert Classic.

Related: On the tee…Paige Spiranac

The key driver behind Mullins’ invite is the one the 5ft 8in American wields, and rather impressively so as this tweet highlights:

She did it!

Troy Mullins is the #MileHighShowdown Women’s Champion! #WorldLongDrive pic.twitter.com/TfM5OpFt7Y

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) July 26, 2017

Nicknamed the Trojan Goddess, Mullins only took up the game after attending Ivy League Cornell University when a hamstring injury curtailed her promising heptathlon career. Now she has genuine LPGA Tour ambitions.

Mullins won the 2017 Mile High Showdown, a World Long Drive event, in July with a 374 yard drive in the final and has a swing so sweet it has some of the game’s most critical analysts swooning, including Golf Channel’s Brandel Chamblee.

Spencer is excited about what Mullins, who speaks four languages including Chinese, Spanish and American Sign Language (ASL), brings to the tournament. She will hold a clinic for spectators after play in the second round on Friday, Dec. 7.

“Troy caught our eye…we’ll we only started following long drive golf because she was on the Golf Channel and was being touted as having a perfect swing,” said Spencer.

“She’ll certainly be the longest player in the field but she’s also an accomplished golfer. We’ll she just how accomplished she is when she comes up against a professional field.”

Key Omega Dubai Ladies Classic signings (from top left clockwise): I.K. Kim, Susana Benavides, Klara Spilkova and Troy Mullins.

As well as unveiling Kim and Mullins, a new name to bring the LET event “into the ‘classic’ family”, and a “sister” trophy to match the Dallah (Arabic coffee pot) handed to Desert Classic men’s champion, Spencer also revealed 16 other name players.

They include Kim’s fellow LPGA players Suzanne Pettersen, Brittany Lincicome, Olafia Kristinsdottir, Mel Reid and reigning Fatima Bint Mubarak Ladies Open champion Beth Allen.

Aditi Ashok, who sealed LET Rookie-of-the-Year honours with a share of third place at Emirates G.C. last December, also returns along with Rafa Cabrera Bello’s sister Emma, Dame Laura Davies, Amy Boulden, Carly Booth, Felicity Johnson, Olivia Cowan and Moroccan trailblazer Maha Haddioui.

New names include Kristinsdottir and Susana Benavides while Czech Olympian Klára Spilková returns.

Benavides is the only Bolivian-born golfer to ever play in an LPGA event and like Spiranac, will bring a strong social media audience with her to Dubai.

Being away from social media made me wanna come back ??er… #poorgreens #highheels #shooting #lpgadresscode #not

A post shared by Susana Benavides (@mumita_b) on Aug 29, 2017 at 6:41pm PDT

Spilková became the first Czech player to win a Ladies European Tour event with a one stroke victory over Pettersen at the Lalla Meryem Cup in Morocco in April.

Photo courtesy LET
Klara Spilkova

Kristinsdottir brought forward double jaw surgery, a procedure that reportedly involved the addition of titanium plates to her nose and screws to her jaw, to correct an underbite just before becoming the first Icelander to play on the LPGA Tour. She is currently 82nd in the CME Rankings with one top-10 in her rookie year, a fourth placing at the Indy Women in Tech Championship Presented by Guggenheim.

Photo courtesy LPGA Tour Olafia Kristinsdottir

I.K. Kim, the highest ranked player in the field at No.8 in the latest Rolex Ranking, banished the haunting memory of missing a 14-inch putt to win the 2012 Kraft Nabisco Championship when he won the Women’s British Open at Kingsbarns

Related: In-Kyung Kim gets her major redemption with two-shot Women’s British Open victory

Englishwoman Sophie Lamb, who closed with a 69 at Kingsbarns to win low amateur honours, will is also a confirmed Majlis starter along with the 29-year-old South Korean.

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Park’s 64 had taken her to 10-under par, with Lewis one back after her 65. Kim’s lead – and her 11-under par total – looked vulnerable, especially if conditions continued to worsen.

As it turned out, they didn’t. In fact, the weather mostly improved. But that break from above takes nothing away from Kim’s performance. The 29-year old South Korean shot a bogey-free 66, converting a string of birdie putts. With one round to play, Kim is on 199, 17-under par, and holds a six-shot edge over Hall and Moriya Jutanugarn, older sister of 2016 champion, Ariya.

Such a lead makes Kim a strong favorite to win her first major title. But memories being what they are, mental images of her infamous miss from 14 inches to win the 2012 ANA Inspiration will be part of what she must overcome during the final 18 holes over the Kingsbarns links. And, to her credit, Kim was not denying the image of that putt remains in her head, albeit she is lot more philosophical about what could have been a career-wrecking moment.

“I have finally been able to let go of that putt,” she said. “I was disappointed with my golf after 2012. I criticized myself too much, which is not healthy. So it was tough. I never stopped liking the game, but what happened did take away some of the joy. I certainly don’t get surprised by anything any more.”

That golf can always throw up even the most unlikely scenario will surely be part of the pursuing pack’s motivation over the closing 18 holes. Certainly, the experienced Park and Lewis will know that, should either go low again, the pressure on the leader will be multiplied. But before that, both will need to replicate the form they showed on day three.

“I putted great and hit the ball great,” said Park, who won this title at Turnberry two years ago. “That’s something I have been really struggling with for the last month. I have no idea where I will be by the end of the day. The weather here is so unpredictable. I’m just happy with the round for myself today. It doesn’t matter how many shots I’m back. I’ll just try to play my golf tomorrow. That’s all I can do.”

Lewis also credited her dramatically lower score to much-improved putting. And her mother.

“I really putted pretty poorly the first two days,” she admitted. “My mom told me I needed to take my putter straighter back. Mom apparently was right. I hate to give her credit but she was right. She doesn’t really understand how a putter should swing, but when we were talking technical stuff last night she said, ‘it should just go straight back and straight through, right?’ And that’s what I worked on today.

“Playing with Inbee helped too. You’re going to see putts go in. She makes it look pretty easy. She doesn’t take a lot of time. She reads putts quick and steps up and hits them. It’s refreshing to not sit there and grind so much and worry about things. She just gets up and hits it. That’s what I took away from today. You see putts rolling nicely. You see balls going in the hole. And that’s always a good thing.”

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For one thing, the pair played the vast majority of their rounds in warm sunshine, finishing before the leaders even started. For another, Park made eight birdies and no bogeys en route to equalling Michelle Wie’s course record of 64; Lewis’ nine birdies hampered only by the brace of dropped shots that saw her round in 65. And for one more, just about the time the current Olympic champion and former WBO champion were signing their cards, the temperature began to drop markedly and the rain started to fall.

Mixed well, all of the above saw Park rise from a lowly T-48 to second; Lewis to T-3. Only overnight leader I.K. Kim was still one-shot ahead of Park on 11-under par.

That situation would change when Kim and her playing partner Georgia Hall both made early birdies. But the sudden presence of two such formidable competitors in contention was sure to make things tougher for those who waited through the sunshine only to tee-off in the sort of chilly, overcast conditions Scots refer to as “dreich.”

“I putted great and hit the ball great,” said Park, who won this title at Turnberry two years ago. “That’s something I have been really struggling with for the last month. I have no idea where I will be by the end of the day. The weather here is so unpredictable. I’m just happy with the round for myself today. It doesn’t matter how many shots I’m back. I’ll just try to play my golf tomorrow. That’s all I can do.”

Lewis also credited her dramatically lower score to much-improved putting. And her mother.

“I really putted pretty poorly the first two days,” she admitted. “My mom told me I needed to take my putter straighter back. Mom apparently was right. I hate to give her credit but she was right. She doesn’t really understand how a putter should swing, but when we were talking technical stuff last night she said, ‘it should just go straight back and straight through, right?’ And that’s what I worked on today.

“Playing with Inbee helped too. You’re going to see putts go in. She makes it look pretty easy. She doesn’t take a lot of time. She reads putts quick and steps up and hits them. It’s refreshing to not sit there and grind so much and worry about things. She just gets up and hits it. That’s what I took away from today. You see putts rolling nicely. You see balls going in the hole. And that’s always a good thing.”

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Trudging through the worst of the conditions towards the end of a day even the hardiest of Scots might mistake for winter rather than summer, Kim played some beautifully steady golf. Only once did she drop a shot, three birdies and an eagle at the 538-yard par-5 11th more than compensating.

“The eagle was very unexpected,” she said while sipping on what had to have been a welcome hot coffee. “I think this was kind of as bad as the weather could get. I expected rain, but not like this. It’s not easy to play in this kind of weather. But I feel really good about my game. I’ve been hitting the ball very well and I’m starting to make some putts. That’s when I shoot low scores.”

Kim was not alone in doing so, of course, although many were those who struggled. First-round leader Michelle Wie was one, her 76 leaving her back in a tie for 21st place.

There were no such problems for Thompson, although for a while it appeared as if there could be. Her 68 was, in Scottish football (soccer) terminology, “a game of two halves.” Out in a disappointing two-over par 38, the world number-two raced home in 30 blows.

The long-hitting Floridian also found time to introduce a new phrase to golf’s already over-flowing lexicon. In response to a question regarding the extent of her pleasure at her challenging position, Thompson claimed to have “ball-striked it out there.” Grammatically questionable Thompson may be, but there was no doubting the veracity of her obvious meaning. Even on her less then satisfactory front-nine, she put on something of a clinic tee-to-green.

“I actually hit it the same throughout both nines,” she confirmed. “I just left myself with 30-40 feet on my two bogeys and three-putted them. I hit great shots. Going in, they were going right at the flag, but they both got bounces that went sideways. Then I didn’t make the second putt. But I hit it great the whole day and just got on a roll there on the back.”

That “roll” included five consecutive birdies from the turn, a run that was, ironically given the power Thompson routinely displays from the tee, broken by a par on the 539-yard par-5 15th.

Still, it wasn’t her distance off the tee that Thompson felt had been the biggest key to her success. Most of the credit, she felt, should go to her caddie, Kevin McAlpine. The former Scottish Amateur champion – the son of a famous Scottish footballer, the former Dundee United goalkeeper, Hamish – worked four summers at Kingsbarns and so knows the course well.

“Kevin has helped with my decision-making on basically every hole,” said Thompson. “His input going into the greens is especially valuable. He tells me where to land the ball and he’s been spot on every time. He knows the greens like the back of his hand, as well. He’s helped me out a lot out there.”

As for Hall, the 21-year old – who is already all but assured of making her Solheim Cup debut later this month – underlined her enormous promise with a second round 67 that included as many as seven birdies. Four of those came in succession, a run the former Curtis Cup player claimed as her longest-ever visit to the land of red numbers.

“I try to play level-headed all the time, whether I get a birdie or a bogey,” said Hall, who intends to compete at the LPGA qualifying school later this year. “I’m just trying to get as many birdies as I can out there. The course is quite ‘scoreable’ today because it wasn’t that windy. It was a bit tougher yesterday, so I tried to get off to a good start. Which I did. And I managed to hole a couple of good putts on the back nine.”

A word too for the defending champion Ariya Jutanugarn. Cruising along at three-under par for the tournament after 29-holes, the 21-year old Thai came unstuck at the diminutive 135-yard par-3 12th. Her first shot found sand by the green. Her second shot finished in the same bunker. As did the third. And the fourth. And the fifth. And the sixth. The seventh emerged onto the putting surface and two-putts later a big fat ‘9’ was on the card.

Five pars and a bogey later, Jutanugarn finished on four-over par, a figure that will comfortably allow her the luxury of finding something else to do over the weekend.

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