Miyu Yamashita struggles on 24th birthday and sees her Women's British Open lead shrink to one shot, Rockland's Megan Khang three back

Boston Globe

4 days ago

Advertisement
That put Yamashita — who turned 24 on Saturday — at 9-under 207.
'I'll be just looking at what went wrong and what went right and analyzing the day and make the improvements that hopefully will lead to a better round tomorrow,' Yamashita said.
Kim put on a fabulous display as the wind got stronger with a 5-under 67. She had a chance to tie for the lead when she hit a 335-yard drive on the 18th hole with a helping wind and fast links turf. She went just long, used her putter from off the green and took three putts for par.
Even so, it puts her in the final group with Yamashita as Lim goes for her second major, having won the
Advertisement
'Honestly I'm not focused on the leader. I focus on my process and my shot and then my position,' Kim said.
And it's not just Kim with a chance.
Yamashita's struggles brought several possibilities in the final round, including the always entertaining Charley Hull. She shot a 66, going from 11 shots behind to within three shots of the lead as Hull goes for her first major.
Charley Hull's moving day charge in less than 60 seconds ⏱️
— AIG Women's Open (@AIGWomensOpen)
'I just kind of enjoy chasing,' Hull said of playing from behind. 'It's more fun that way.'
Andrea Lee had a 67 and was two shots behind, followed by Hull, Rockland native Megan Khang (68), Rio Takeda (74), and Minami Katsu, whose 65 matched the low score of the tournament.
Khang, who had six birdies and two bogeys, will be paired with Hull for the final round.
Rockland's Megan Khang had six birdies and two bogeys in a round of 4-under 68 that has her in a tie for fourth, three shots off the lead at the Women's British Open.
Kin Cheung/Associated Press
'I think there will be a little bit of extra pressure on whoever is the 54-hole leader,' Lee said. 'Tomorrow is going to be pretty tough. Anything can happen out there. I think anyone within five shots has a chance at this championship honestly, so I'm just going to try and keep my head down and stick to my own game plan and try not to look at the leaderboard.'
The Women's British Open had the look of a Japanese duel, with Yamashita three shots ahead of Takeda and no one else closer than seven shots. But it was a struggle for Yamashita early with her putting, and then one of the straightest drivers lost her way.
She steadied herself with an approach — from the rough, of course — into 3 feet for birdie on No. 11, and a tee shot that settled 3 feet away for another birdie on the par-3 12th.
Advertisement
But playing out of the fescue caught up with her, and except for that 40-foot par putt on the 17th to keep her in the lead, it was a struggle to get done with the round.
She's not backing down!
What a moment for Miyu Yamashita to maintain her lead 👏
— AIG Women's Open (@AIGWomensOpen)
Takeda wasn't much better, with two bogeys in four holes at the start and two more bogeys over the final five holes.
Lottie Woad, the rising English star who
Nelly Korda, the No. 1 player in women's golf, is likely to end the major championship season without a title. She shot 74 and fell nine shots behind. Korda has gone 13 tournaments without winning and risks losing her No. 1 ranking to Jeeno Thitikul depending on the final round.
The LPGA Tour already is off to a historic start by not having a multiple winner through 19 tournaments, a streak that could continue. Only Kim and Takeda from the top 10 on the leaderboard have won this year.