Charley Hull is savoring a chance to launch a late surge toward a major championship title after delivering a dramatic third‑round rally at the AIG Women’s Open. The world’s seventh‑ranked golfer entered the round at Royal Lytham & St Annes five strokes off the halfway leader, but an early string of three bogeys in her first six holes saw her slip to ten strokes behind the overnight leader, South Korea’s Haeran Ryu, who had opened the day with a swift climb up the leaderboard. Undeterred, Hull found her rhythm on the back‑nine. She carded birdies on holes seven and eight, briefly narrowing the gap, only to stumble again with a bogey at the tenth.
The momentum shifted in her favor when Ryu, playing several groups behind, faltered, making five bogeys over an eight‑hole stretch. Hull seized the opportunity, adding consecutive birdies from the 15th onward, and salvaged a pars at the 17th before finishing with a par on the 18th. Her round of level‑par 71 left her five strokes behind Yealimi Noh heading into the final day. "I’m pretty proud – the first six holes I played like a 10‑handicapper," Hull told Sky Sports.
"I missed three putts I should have holed from five feet, which would have kept me at even par instead of three over. I bounced back, hit a great shot into the last hole, found a good line and left it short, but I was happy with how I finished." Hull admitted that tracking the leaderboard was challenging because the field was spread thin across the course, making it difficult to gauge her exact position. "I like to sneak a look when I can," she added.
Hull’s résumé includes five runner‑up finishes in major tournaments, two of which came at this very venue over the past three years, and a second‑place finish at the U.S. Women’s Open in June.
At 30, she hopes to translate those near‑misses into a breakthrough victory. "I just want to go out there and enjoy it tomorrow, not put too much pressure on myself," Hull said. "Go out there, have fun and trust my swing." A win would make Hull the first British woman to capture a major since Georgia Hall triumphed at Royal Lytham in 2018, and the first British champion at the course since Catriona Matthew’s 2009 victory.
Fellow English competitor Lottie Woad is also in contention, having posted a one‑under 70 in the second round after a disappointing start, which moved her to three under heading into the final day. Woad explained her strategy: "It’s a good position to be in. I should be a few strokes back by the end of today. I’ll stick to my game plan and see what happens.
The course definitely played tougher today. The wind was probably the strongest it’s been. The back nine was a grind, but I felt a bit better on the greens and scrambled well." She added that success at Royal Lytham often hinges on taking advantage of the down‑wind front nine: "You have to get at the front nine while it’s downwind.
I went out level par, which wasn’t the best start. I knew there would be chances on the back nine, but a lot of it is par golf." As the final round approaches, the question on everyone’s mind is who will emerge victorious at the AIG Women’s Open. The showdown will be broadcast live on Sunday from midday on Sky Sports Golf, with streaming options available through Sky Sports without a contract. Fans can tune in to watch Hull, Woad, Noh, and the rest of the field battle for the coveted major title, hoping to witness a historic win for British women’s golf.