Davies set for title charge

England’s Laura Davies eagled the 18th hole for a joint best of day 67 and looked forward to staging a title charge in tomorrow’s final round of the Evian Masters in France today.

On ten under 206, the 42-year-old was in joint third with South Korea’s Se Ri Pak, and just two shots behind Australia’s Karrie Webb, who had a 69 and led by one from 16-year-old American Michelle Wie.

Wie birdied the last for a 70 to stay bang on course for her much-anticipated first professional victory.

Davies’ list of 66 career titles includes this event in 1995 and 1996 but she has not won anywhere since the Women’s Australian Open in March 2004 and her last victory on the LPGA Tour was more than five years ago.

But a round of five birdies and the three from 15 feet at the 467-yard 18th - her second shot was with a pitching wedge from 155 yards – suggested she could end the long drought tomorrow.

“I haven’t played too well on last days recently, but I’ll certainly be going out to try and win the tournament tomorrow,” she said. “I made a bad start with a bogey at the first hole today but I’ve played the back nine really well. Just to be two behind is great.”

Davies started the year in nightmare fashion when she missed seven out of eight cuts in America. But she recovered her confidence with a couple of second places on the Ladies’ European Tour, at the Swiss and French Opens.

“I might wake up nervous tomorrow, but we’ll see how it goes,” she said. “It’s lovely to go out on a last day and know you at least have a chance to win again.”

Webb, out in 32 and with a fifth birdie of the day at the 12th, looked set to take a big lead. But she drove out of bounds to drop two shots at the 12th and had another poor tee shot for a bogey at the 13th.

“But it was good to get one back at the last” said the 31-year-old former world number one.

Wie, who shot a faultless 66 in round two, could not quite find the same accuracy with her irons, but last year’s runner-up still managed four birdies. The one hole that has caused the powerful teenager most problems this week is the shortest of the lot, the 114-yards 17th.

On day one, she dropped a shot when she hit 40 yards over the back, and she did the same today. Yesterday, her tee shot was short – although she did save par.

“I don’t know what happens at that hole; I seemed to turn into the hulk,” she joked. “I hit a 56-degree wedge today and there’s no way it should have gone as far as it did. But I’m not going to leave here without birdieing it. Tomorrow I’ll get it.”