Two-time champion Jiyai Shin made the most of the back nine by top seed Nelly Korda to take a one-shot lead after the third round of the Women’s British Open in St. Andrews on Saturday.
Nothing will give the 36-year-old Shin more confidence heading into the final round than the way he collected his final birdie of the seventh in a 5-under 67 at home.
On the 4th 17th, the famous Road Hole, the former world No. 1 hit a fairway wood that landed in front of the green and rolled to within 2 feet of the pin.
That took Shin to 7 under at the fifth and final major of the year, and is the number the South Korean will start Sunday in her bid to follow up her Women’s British Open titles in 2008 and 2012.
“This is my third time at St Andrews. This is the best I’ve played in a long time,” said Shin, who is tied for 11th after two rounds. “I have a lot of knowledge about links courses and I don’t have a serious spirit like this, but I have a lot of good knowledge.”
Korda is also seeking his third major title — his first at the British Open — but will start two strokes off the lead after his form from the start of the two days left him with a 75.
Starting with a three-shot advantage, the American missed short par putts on his first two holes to drop to a share of the lead, but regained it with three birdies before the turn.
Korda lost his way on the back nine, missing a par putt from 4 feet on No. 12, another from 5 feet on No. 13 and double at No.
There was another bogey on the 17th — a difficult hole he had hit on Thursday and Friday — but a birdie at the end left Korda in third place.
“It’s good to finish with a birdie,” Korda said, “but it wasn’t the best of days.”
Defending champion Lilia Vu rolled in a birdie putt on No. 18 to shoot a 71 and be alone in second place. He made five birdies to clear two bogeys and a double bogey on No. 13.
“The wheels fell between them,” said Vu. “I was starting to worry, but caddy [Cole Pensanti] was able to give me words of comfort that I am playing well. It’s just a few bad breaks.”
Olympic champion Lydia Ko (71) and Jenny Shin (70) tied for fourth place.
Charley Hull disappeared from contention after shooting a 75 and was 2 under, five off the lead.
Jiyai Shin was a champion, winning the Women’s British Open at Sunningdale in 2008 when she was not yet a member of the LPGA. Her victory at Hoylake four years later was by nine shots and was one of the most important factors in the women’s major victory. Among those great chariots, he rose to the top of the world’s ranks.
However, he resigned his LPGA membership in the United States before the start of the 2014 season and returned to Asia to be closer to his father, instead playing in Japan and Korea — all the while continuing to win titles.
“I’m worried [that I] lost fans, but I met new fans, more new fans,” said Shin, adding. “I continue to work hard. I know myself well now. Even though I’m in a different situation, I can hold my own. That’s why I’m here.”
Shin hit Nos. 1 and 2 and he made three consecutive birdies on Nos. 7-9 to move one back of Korda. He called number 12 so he wouldn’t come back, and that clinic at number 17 finally put him forward.
“I couldn’t see where the ball ended up because of my height,” said Shin. “I didn’t see it. I heard a lot of hands, but I didn’t see where they finished. Then my thought was, ‘Okay, make the green,’ and then when I came up … in the hole, I was like wow, so close.”
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
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