RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. — LSU women’s golfer Meredith Duncan birdied the course’s most difficult hole, the par 5 18th for the second straight day, but troubles in the middle of each nine sent her to a 6-over 78 in the third round Saturday of the Kraft Nabisco Championships, the first major of the LPGA 2002 season.
Duncan stands at 15-over par 231 for the first 54 holes of the 72 hole event on the Diana Shore Championship Course at the Mission Hills Country Club.
Duncan is in 73rd place after making the cut for the first time in an LPGA event. The lead is held jointly by Karrie Webb, Liselotte Neumann and Annika Sorenstam at 4-under 212.
Duncan had bogey stretches in her round which started on the back nine, bogeying 12, 13, 14 and 15 before her birdie on 18 gave her 39 at the turn.
She bogeyed one, three, four, five with a birdie on the par-4 seventh to finish at 39 as well on the front.
The Shreveport senior will rejoin her LSU golf team next week for the LSU/Cleveland Golf Classic at the University Club, April 5-7.