Charley Hull is savoring a chance to mount a late charge for a major championship after delivering a dramatic comeback in the third round of the AIG Women’s Open. The world No. 7 found herself five strokes off the leader at Royal Lytham & St Annes, only to slip back to ten strokes behind after three bogeys in her first six holes on Saturday afternoon. The overnight leader, Haeran Ryu, had surged ahead early and was pulling away from the rest of the field.
Undeterred, Hull answered with a pair of birdies on holes seven and eight, briefly narrowing the gap. A bogey at the tenth stalled her momentum, but the tide turned when Ryu, playing several groups behind, stumbled through an eight‑hole stretch that produced five bogeys. Hull seized the opportunity, stringing together a run of pars and then adding birdies on the 15th and 16th, before salvaging a par on the 17th.
She closed the round with another par on the 18th, finishing with a level‑par 71 that left her just 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." She went on to describe how she recovered, hitting a superb approach shot on the final hole and finishing the round on a high note. "I hit a great line and just left it short, but I was pretty happy with the way I finished," she said. Hull admitted that keeping track of the leaderboard was challenging because there weren’t many competitors out on the course at any given time, but she tried to catch a glimpse whenever possible. Hull’s résumé includes five runner‑up finishes in majors, two of which have come at this very tournament over the past three years, and a runner‑up finish at the U.S.
Women’s Open in June. At 30, she hopes to convert those near‑misses into a long‑awaited victory. "I just want to go out there and enjoy it tomorrow, not put too much pressure on myself," Hull added. "Go out there, have fun and trust my swing." A win would make Hull the first British woman to capture a major title since Georgia Hall triumphed at Royal Lytham in 2018.
The venue also saw Catriona Matthew’s major victory in 2009, underscoring the significance of a home‑grown champion. Meanwhile, fellow English contender Lottie Woad is also in contention. Woad, who has posted top‑10 finishes in each of her previous AIG Women’s Open appearances, rebounded from a disappointing second‑round finish by carding a one‑under 70, featuring three birdies and two bogeys, to sit three under heading into the final day.
"It’s a good position to be in," Woad told Sky Sports. "I should be a few strokes back by the end of today. I’ll stick to my game plan and see what happens." She noted that the course played tougher than expected, with wind becoming a major factor. "The wind was probably the strongest it’s been.
The back nine was definitely a grind, but I felt a bit better on the greens today and I scrambled pretty well to get around," Woad explained. She emphasized the importance of capitalising on the front nine, which is generally downwind, saying that a level‑par start was not ideal but that she expected scoring opportunities on the back nine, even if much of it would be par golf. Both Hull and Woad are looking to navigate the final round’s challenges, which include unpredictable breezes, fast greens, and a demanding layout that rewards precision and strategic shot‑making. The AIG Women’s Open final round will be broadcast live on Sunday from midday on Sky Sports Golf, and viewers can also stream the event through Sky Sports without a contract.
The tournament promises a thrilling conclusion as the field battles for the coveted major title, with Hull’s late‑round surge and Woad’s steady play setting the stage for an exciting finish.