Third-round notebook: Now Reynolds anxious to challenge for Open title

BETHLEHEM, Pa. (AP) -- Not that long ago, Jean Reynolds grew tired of golf. Now, she's looking forward to the pressure of the back nine in the final round of the U.S. Women's Open.

How times have changed.

A two-time winner this season on the minor Futures Tour -- and its leading money winner -- Reynolds will be playing in the next-to-last group in the final round of the Open following a third-round 3-over 74 left her tied for third with Teresa Lu.

They are four strokes behind leader Cristie Kerr.

Reynolds is an unlikely challenger for the title, considering this is only her second U.S. Women's Open and she's a member of the development Duramed Futures Tour.

The 24-year-old stepped away from the game for more than a year after her first season at the University of Georgia. She admits that the lure of the college life was more attractive than the golf grind.

Now, she craves competition and will likely get all she can handle in Sunday's final round.

"There's just different roads to get here," she said. "I mean you don't have to spend four years of grueling practice and grueling over putts to end up here.

"I took a year and a half off of competitive golf, and you kind of come out with a desire to win again, and that was kind of, for me, why I'm back into it," she explained. "I just missed competition. But as far as not having that college experience or any of that, I don't think that's held me back at all."

Reynolds has won Futures Tour events in Florida and Indiana and has earned $63,650 in 10 stops. Now she's within reach of one of golf's biggest prizes.

"I just don't feel like I've got anything to lose," she said. "I've hung in there all week, so I'm just going to go out there and see what happens."

MEMORIES: The 2009 U.S. Women's Open will be remembered for a lot of things, such as the headline-stealing news of a faction of key LPGA Tour players calling for Commissioner Carolyn Bivens to resign, and a resurgence of American players, who held the top three spots after two rounds.

But this championship also matched a record for the number of withdrawals.

Nine players bowed out of the competition, matching 1972's total. Five players withdrew on Thursday and four Friday.

Last year's runner-up Helen Alfredsson (rib injury), 2006 runner-up Pat Hurst (rib injury) Minea Blomqvist of Finland (illness) and Jin Joo Hong of South Korea (no reason given) withdrew Friday. They joined Brandi Burton, Martina Eberl of Germany, and Jee Young Lee, Seon Hwa Lee and Naree Song of South Korea.

SOARING: The USGA shortened the length of a number of holes and was generous with a few pin placements. The result was just one eagle -- the third of the championship -- on Saturday.

Sun Young Yoo of South Korea had an eagle at the par-4 13th. Christina Kim and Jennie Lee posted eagles in the second round.

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