Yealimi Noh has taken the lead at the AIG Women's Open after Haeran Ryu's collapse, with Lottie Woad and Charley Hull still in contention. Ryu had been on course for a third consecutive major victory, but a series of bogeys saw her slip down the leaderboard. Noh, meanwhile, produced a birdie burst to take a three-shot lead. Woad and Hull are among those chasing her, with Woad four back and Hull a further stroke behind.
The final day of the tournament is set to be closely contested, with several players still in with a chance of winning. Ryu's collapse began with a wayward drive at the par-five seventh, which led to a bogey. She then dropped another shot at the next hole, and her struggles continued as she bogeyed the 12th and 14th. Noh, on the other hand, found her form on the back nine, posting three consecutive birdies from the ninth to tie for the lead.
She then took the outright lead with a five-foot birdie at the 16th. The American is now in a strong position to claim her maiden major title, and she will be looking to hold off the challenges of Woad, Hull, and others on the final day.
'It was a little bit of a rocky start, but my putting was solid and my shots too,' Noh said. '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.' Woad, meanwhile, is confident of her chances, saying: '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.' Hull, who has been a runner-up at the AIG Women's Open twice in the last three years, is also still in contention. 'I'm pretty proud as the first six holes I played like a 10-handicapper, I felt,' she said. '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.' The final round of the AIG Women's Open will be live on Sky Sports Golf from midday on Sunday.