American Yealimi Noh has taken the lead in the AIG Women’s Open heading into the final round at Royal Lytham & St Annes, holding a three-stroke lead over the chasing pack.
Noh couldn’t emulate her four-under round of 67 from Thursday, but improved on Friday’s one-under to push herself out to an overall seven-under, registering five birdies and three bogeys to sign for 69 on Saturday.
Among the five golfers in tied-second is Friday’s overnight leader Haerun Ryu after the South Korean endured a dramatic reversal.
Ryu briefly stretched her advantage to five shots after reaching nine-under after the sixth hole, but six bogeys saw her slump to a three-over 74.
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One of the favourites coming Lancashire having won the last two Majors – the KPMG Women’s PGA and the Amundi Evian – she now sits second alongside Noh’s compatriot Lucy Li, Germany’s Esther Henseleit, Japan’s Shiho Kuwaki, and Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul.
Li recorded one of the rounds of the day with a two-under 69, while Thitikul stayed firmly in contention after parring every hole on the back nine in a one-over 72.
Noh’s surge contrasted sharply with a frustrating finish for former world number one Nelly Korda.
The American birdied the 17th to climb the leaderboard before a wayward tee shot on the final hole led to a costly double-bogey six. Korda ended the day tied for 17th on level par, seven strokes off Noh.
The is no Irish involvement in the closing rounds after Leona Maguire, Lauren Walsh and Anna Foster each failed to make the cut after the opening two rounds.
