Yealimi Noh took advantage of Haeran Ryu's missteps to capture the third-round lead at the AIG Women’s Open, leaving Lottie Woad and Charley Hull still in the hunt for the championship. Ryu entered the day holding a two‑stroke advantage, aiming for a third straight major win. She opened with a clean four‑stroke margin at Royal Lytham & St Annes, but an erratic stretch of eight holes later produced five bogeys and a disappointing three‑over 74.

Noh, who had started the weekend two shots behind the leader, initially fell further back after posting two bogeys in the first five holes. A burst of birdies around the turn, however, propelled her to a two‑under 69, giving her a three‑shot cushion over the field. The American now heads into the final round at seven under par, chasing her first major title. Ryu has slipped into a tie for second place, sharing that spot with Jeeno Thitkul, Lucy Li and Shiho Kuwaki.

Woad sits four shots back, while Hull trails by an additional stroke, positioning both Englishwomen for a potential late‑day surge. World No. 1 Nelly Korda, after a double‑bogey on the final hole, fell to eight shots behind at one over par. Ryu began the day a shot ahead of Kuwaki, but quickly asserted control with consecutive birdies on holes three and four, extending her lead to four when her playing partner made a bogey.

Both players then bogeyed the next par‑three, after which Ryu reclaimed her four‑shot buffer by capitalising on the subsequent par‑five. The momentum unraveled on the seventh hole, a par‑five, when Ryu’s drive landed in thick rough and became unplayable. She was forced to take a penalty, ultimately salvaging only a bogey and losing a stroke on the following hole.

Meanwhile, Kuwaki responded with birdies on holes seven and nine, narrowing the gap to a single stroke at the turn. Ryu’s woes continued on the back‑nine. She required two attempts to escape a bunker on the par‑four tenth, resulting in another bogey. In the group ahead, Noh produced three straight birdies from the ninth onward, pulling herself into a three‑way tie for the lead.

Further trouble hit Ryu on holes twelve and fourteen, both resulting in bogeys. Kuwaki could not save par on the fifteenth, and Noh seized the opportunity with a five‑foot birdie on the sixteenth, extending her cushion to two strokes. Kuwaki’s mis‑play on the eighteenth hole—another bogey—allowed Noh to increase her advantage. Noh now stands on the cusp of becoming the first American to win the AIG Women’s Open as her maiden major since Mo Martin’s triumph in 2014.

"It was a rocky start, but my putting was solid and my shots were on point," Noh explained to Sky Sports. "I settled into a better rhythm and focused on my tempo on the back nine.

I’m thrilled with where I am and ready to go again." German contender Esther Henseleit displayed a strong first ten holes with five birdies, but a bogey on the fifteenth kept her from climbing higher. Already qualified for the Solheim Cup via her world ranking, Henseleit now needs a solo second‑place finish or better to overtake Chiara Tamburlini on the Ladies European Tour points list. Woad also has a chance to eclipse Tamburlini by finishing solo third or higher.

The world No. 5 mixed three birdies with two bogeys in her round, positioning herself well to challenge for her first major title.

"It’s a good spot to be in," Woad told Sky Sports. "I should be a few shots back, but I’ll stick to my game plan and see what happens.

I felt better on the greens today and scrambled effectively to stay in contention." Hull’s round was a tale of two halves. After three bogeys in her opening six holes, she rallied with back‑to‑back birdies on holes seven and eight, then dropped another shot on the tenth. The fan favourite, who has finished runner‑up at the AIG Women’s Open twice in the past three years, finished strongly with consecutive birdies from the fifteenth through the seventeenth, posting a level‑par 71. "I’m pretty proud; the first six holes I played like a ten‑handicapper," Hull said to Sky Sports.

"I missed three putts from five feet that should have been holed, which kept me three over instead of even. I bounced back and was happy with my finish. Watching the leaderboard is tough when there aren’t many players on the course, so I like to sneak a look whenever I can." The final round will determine who lifts the AIG Women’s Open trophy. Viewers can watch live on Sunday from midday on Sky Sports Golf, or stream the action without a contract through the platform’s golf coverage.

The drama promises to continue as Noh defends her lead, Ryu fights to regain footing, and the English contenders aim for a breakthrough performance.