Kaufman survives wild ride

If you had told Kim Kaufman in advance that she had taken the two photo 's of the day, she would no doubt have been happy.

If you told her she would give a 75, she would probably have been hurt.

In his current form, neither really matters.

The American, who is pursuing her first LPGA Tour title, will start tomorrow's final round of the ISPS Handa Vic Open at the same spot where she started the seasoned third round today – two free from the field.

Only tomorrow the immediately hunting suit clearly looks different after a day full of pure bloodbath.

French Celine Boutier scored a classy three-under-par 69 to advance through the field scythe and eight under par next to hometown hero Su Oh.

Oh arrived in the last group, despite a 74 who after a few open bogeys threatened to become even worse, but the former Women & # 39; s Australian Open champion Haru Nomura (76), who had been victim of the difficult weather, the day progressed, but clung to it at seven o'clock.

There is then a gap of three shots to the next wave, including the Korean Mirim Lee (69), the English duo Jodi Ewart Shadhoff (72) and Felicity Johnson (74) and another local hope, Katherine Kirk (73).

Remarkably, the legendary Karrie Webb (82) and defending champion Minjee Lee (74) came on the wrong side of the one-way cut line after days that both would rather forget.

The round, which lasted six hours for the leading groups, was best summarized by Kaufman, educated in western Texas, so no stranger to difficult conditions.

"That was six hours of just being hit by the wind," she said.

"We might have had two tee boxes where we came out and we all just went," Oh, thank God for a second. "

"We have all survived."

The round of Kaufman probably turned into a spectacular shot – a holed bunker shoots at the treacherous par-three seventh who claimed that the victims put their hand over the fist in both men's and women's fields.

And no one was more surprised than the American who dropped her ball into the hole.

"It was so windy in the bunker, my club was not really set, but I stood there too long and I said," I have to hit this, "she said.

"From the moment I hit it, I thought," Oh, it's way too far away ", but I just started it.

"I can say that I have never done that before and it was a great time to do it.

"It's great to do it every time, but in order not to have to fit on that green (and) to get out of that gap, I would have paid for it."

Oh, co-winner in the 2015 Vic Open, knew she had done well to keep in touch with Kaufman despite not having the best form, and knows that tomorrow it will probably be tense if she, like Kaufman, her first LPGA Tour is chasing crown.

"It would mean a lot, like everything, I think, but especially in my state Open," said Oh.

"The first tournament, it would just be great, I do not know, I do not think anyone would be sad that they won, so I'm going to fight for it."

Oh was stunned by the support of her home crowd in such difficult circumstances.

"I was so shocked how many people there were It was not fun – it was cold, it was windy, it was raining, and then the sun was up and it was like pouring again, I appreciate that everyone comes out and the tournament supports. "