Bad back still an issue for Wie @ Dubai Ladies Masters

Bad back still an issue for Wie @ Dubai Ladies Masters

Danish veteran Iben Tinning, playing in her final Ladies European Tour tournament, was tied for the lead Friday with England's Melissa Reid going into the final round of the Dubai Ladies Masters.

The 36-year-old Tinning, who will retire after 15 years on the tour, was two shots back at the halfway mark but had four birdies on her way to a 3-under 69 to pass overnight leader Lydia Hall of England. Reid was three shots back but managed her best score of the tournament -- a 4-under 68 -- to grab a share of the lead on the final hole at the season-ending tournament in Dubai.

Hall remained in the hunt a shot back, after she recovered from an early double bogey to shoot even par and remain at 7 under. She was tied with 16th-ranked Anna Nordqvist of Sweden who briefly topped the leaderboard before falling back after carding a late bogey.

American Michelle Wie, battling back troubles, had a rollercoaster round. She birdied the third hole to go 2 under, but then had two bogeys on the back nine before stringing together two birdies. On the 18th, she double-bogeyed to move to even par 216 for the tournament and a tie for 17th.

Tinning hasn't won on the tour since a 2005 victory in Denmark and admitted she had butterflies early on knowing she was battling for the lead. She calmed herself down and went onto play some of her best golf of the tournament, aggressively going for the pins and making several clutch putts including one on 15 to save par and on 16 for a birdie.

"This morning when I went out to play, I was really nervous the first few holes," she said. "And it was funny. I said to my husband 'well, this actually what I'm going to miss'. So I've got to enjoy it, even thought it was a bit terrifying."

Tinning acknowledged she "wasn't prepared" to be at the top of the leaderboard going into Sunday but said she would continue playing do-or-die golf knowing "she has nothing to lose."

"I've been waiting for a career win for, what six years and I think it's about time and that's probably one of my last chances," the 110th-ranked Tinning said with a smile.

Reid, who won her first tournament in Turkey earlier this year, moved into contention after making three birdies on the front nine and said she was "quite happy" to finish with two more birdies on the final two holes. Despite a lone bogey on nine after she hit into the water, Reid said she "played solid today" and felt she was in good position to earn her second tour victory.

"Yeah, it would be a nice little Christmas present wouldn't it to win this week," said the 67th-ranked Reid.

Hall appeared to be fading after a double-bogey on the second but she settled herself down to get four birdies on the back nine. A relative unknown on the tour who has yet to finish better than sixth, Hall credited her improved performance with a training routine the past 10 weeks and work on her swing that has resulted in her adding 10 yards to many of her shots.

"There are huge names on the leaderboard and I'm just concentrating on myself, one shot at a time," she said. "We'll see what happens. Anything can happen."

Wie, who rushed right to the putting green after her round, lamented some missed opportunities on the front nine where she parred every hole except one and the par 5s where the normally big-hitting Wie had two bogeys and a double bogey to go along with a lone par.

"I didn't play well on the par 5 in the end. Oh well," Wie said. "I didn't make any birdie putts in the beginning which is a struggle for me. Other than that, I played pretty solid. I just have to monkey with a couple of shots."