Lottie Woad and Charley Hull remain in contention heading into the final round of the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham and St Annes. American Yealimi Noh took the lead after the third round, holding a three-shot advantage on three under par.

Noh carded a two-under 69, overcoming a slow start by making five birdies and three bogeys. Her total score places her three strokes ahead of a group tied for second place at four under. This chasing pack consists of South Korea’s Ryu Hae-ran, Japan’s Shiho Kuwaki, Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul, and American Lucy Li.

Ryu, who was the overnight leader, is pursuing a third consecutive major title after victories at the Women’s PGA Championship in June and the Evian Championship last month. She shot a 74 in the third round to remain in contention.

Woad, the 22-year-old English player, sits four shots behind Noh at three under after a one-under 70. She made two birdies and two bogeys on the front nine, then steadied her round with six consecutive pars on the back nine before a birdie on the 16th hole. Woad described the conditions on the back nine as challenging due to strong winds, but said she felt more confident on the greens and was pleased with her ability to recover throughout the round.

Charley Hull, also representing England, rebounded after a difficult start to card a level-par 71 and stands one shot further back at two under. Early in her round, Hull dropped three strokes in the first six holes, a stretch during which she missed several short putts. She expressed satisfaction with her finish, noting a positive recovery in the latter part of her round.

The leaderboard entering the final day sets up a competitive conclusion to the championship, with multiple players in striking distance of the lead as they battle the challenging links course and variable conditions at Royal Lytham and St Annes.