Yealimi Noh seized the momentum when Haeran Ryu faltered, moving into the solo third-round lead at the AIG Women’s Open, while England’s Lottie Woad and Charley Hull remained within striking distance of the title. Ryu had entered the day holding a two‑stroke advantage and was on the brink of a third straight major triumph. She opened the round with a flawless four‑under 68 at the historic Royal Lytham & St Annes, but a disastrous eight‑hole stretch in the middle of the round saw her card a three‑over 74, slipping to a three‑over total for the day.
Noh began the tournament two shots behind the leader. After a shaky start that included two bogeys in the first five holes, she found her rhythm around the turn, stringing together a flurry of birdies that propelled her to a two‑under 69. That round gave her a three‑shot cushion over the field heading into the final day.
The American now sits at seven under par, eyeing her first major championship, while Ryu is tied for second with Jeeno Thitkul, Lucy Li and Shiho Kuwaki, each sharing the same tally. Both Woad and Hull entered the final round four and five shots off the lead, respectively, setting up a potential late‑day surge from the two Englishwomen.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who had been a contender earlier in the tournament, fell back dramatically after a double‑bogey on the last hole, finishing at one over par and eight shots behind the leader. Ryu’s early dominance on the day was short‑lived.
After opening with a birdie on the third hole, she followed with another on the fourth, extending her lead to four strokes as her playing partner stumbled into a bogey. A brief lull saw both players drop a bogey on the subsequent par‑three, but Ryu quickly regained her four‑stroke buffer by taking advantage of the next par‑five. Her momentum unraveled on the seventh, however, when an errant drive landed in thick rough, forcing an unplayable lie and a penalty that turned a potential birdie into a bogey. The setback set the tone for the rest of her round.
Kuwaki, who had been sitting just a shot behind Ryu after the turn, managed birdies on the seventh and ninth holes, narrowing the gap to a single stroke. Yet Ryu’s mis‑execution continued when she failed to get out of a greenside bunker on the tenth, resulting in a bogey after two attempts. Meanwhile, Noh, playing ahead of the leaders, produced three consecutive birdies from the ninth through the eleventh, pulling herself into a three‑way tie at the top of the leaderboard.
The American’s struggles persisted on the back‑nine. She bogeyed the 12th and 14th holes, while Kuwaki could not save par on the 15th, allowing Noh to stretch her lead with a five‑foot birdie on the 16th. Kuwaki’s subsequent bogey on the penultimate hole cemented Noh’s two‑shot advantage.
Noh now stands on the cusp of becoming the first American to capture the AIG Women’s Open as her maiden major since Mo Martin’s victory in 2014. Speaking to Sky Sports, Noh reflected on her performance: "It was a little bit of a rocky start, but my putting was solid and my shots too. I just settled into a better routine and focused on my tempo on the back nine. I'm just happy to be in this position and ready to go again." Her calm demeanor and steady play have positioned her as the favorite heading into Sunday’s final round.
German contender Esther Henseleit posted an impressive five birdies in her first ten holes before stumbling on the 15th. Already assured of a Solheim Cup spot via her world ranking, Henseleit now needs a solo second‑place finish or better to overtake Chiara Tamburlini on the Ladies European Tour qualification list. Woad, currently ranked fifth in the world, can also leapfrog Tamburlini with a solo third‑place finish or higher.
Woad’s round featured three birdies mixed with two bogeys, leaving her well‑placed to challenge for her first major title. Woad told Sky Sports, "It's a good position to be in.
I should be a few back. I'll stick to my game plan and see what happens. I felt a bit better on the greens today and I scrambled pretty well to get around." Her confidence in her short‑game and ability to recover from difficult lies could prove decisive in the closing stages. Hull’s round was a roller‑coaster.
After three bogeys in her opening six holes, she rallied with back‑to‑back birdies on the seventh and eighth, only to drop another shot on the 10th. The two‑time runner‑up at the AIG Women’s Open in the past three years then mounted a late charge, carding birdies on the 15th and 16th to finish with a level‑par 71.
Hull shared her thoughts with Sky Sports: "I'm pretty proud as the first six holes I played like a 10‑handicapper, I felt. I missed three putts I should have holed from five feet and in, which would have kept me level par instead of being three over.
I had a bit of a bounce back and I was pretty happy with the way I finished. I was looking at leaderboards – there aren't many out on the golf course, so it's quite hard to see where you're at – and I do like to have a sneaky look." Her resilience and ability to bounce back after a difficult start keep her within striking distance of the leaders. As the final round approaches, the battle for the AIG Women’s Open will likely hinge on who can maintain composure under pressure.
Noh’s steady play and strong putting give her a clear edge, but the experienced Ryu, along with hungry challengers like Woad, Hull, and Kuwaki, possess the talent to close the gap. Golf fans can tune in to Sky Sports Golf on Sunday from midday to watch the climax of the tournament, or stream the action without a contract for uninterrupted coverage.
The stage is set for an exciting finish, with the potential for a new major champion to emerge from a field of seasoned veterans and rising stars alike.