Just four weeks ago Morgan Pressel watched in San Francisco as two putts that could have clinched a victory – her first since a 2008 win at the Kapalua LPGA Classic – rolled agonizingly past. She was that close to her third career victory, but she’ll have a shot to make amends on Sunday at the ShopRite LPGA Classic Presented by Acer after maintaining her lead Saturday with a 2-under-par 69 to lead by one over Anna Nordqvist.

As Pressel looks to snap a nearly seven-year winless drought, she will sleep on the lead heading into the final round for the first time since the 2013 RICOH Women’s British Open, where she finished in a tie for fourth. Pressel’s been arguably as hot over the last two months as at any other point in her career, reeling off a third place finish at the ANA Inspiration, a runner-up at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic Presented by CTBC, and top-20 finishes in five of her last six starts heading into this week.

“I guess the more that I am in that position, the more comfortable I am with it,” Pressel said. “I think at the end of the day, you have to be comfortable with the results, the outcome, no matter what it is. I feel like I’m in a good place, and I’m there, and no matter what happens tomorrow, I’m happy with my game and the direction that I’m heading. Tomorrow is not the end of the world one way or the other, but I’m going to go out there and give it my best shot.”

With a 20 mile per hour cross wind ripping in off of the water through the course for much of the day, the lowest score of the day was a 4-under 67 by second-year Tour member Jaye Marie Green. So Pressel was more than happy to walk away with only one bogey in a 2-under-par 69.

“It was a tough day to play. I think that the wind tomorrow is going to be pretty similar,” Pressel said. “I was able to keep the ball in front of me really well today. I only hit a couple of poor shots, one on 13 where I ended up having to pitch out after a poor drive, but the wind is tough to club, but it’s also tough to commit, and I think that I did a pretty good job committing to all the shots today, committing to my target lines. Sometimes when you have an 8-iron or a 9-iron in your hand it’s hard to aim 40 yards right of the pin and trust that the wind is going to bring it all the way back, but I did a pretty good job of that today, and going to need more of the same tomorrow.”

Pressel will look to hold off Nordqvist, who is one shot back and looking for her first win since ripping off two in the first five tournaments of 2014, and five additional players – Kelly Shon (68), Christel Boeljon (70), Gerina Piller (70), Pernilla Lindberg (70), Catriona Matthew (70) – that are tied just three shots back of Pressel’s lead.

Morgan Pressel Maintains Lead at ShopRite LPGA Classic

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