Hull three behind leader Yamashita at Womens Open
- BBC News
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Womens Open best shots - day three
AIG Womens Open 2025 - third round leaderboard
-9 Yamashita (Jpn); -8 AL Kim (Kor); -7 A Lee (US)
Selected others
-6 Hull (Eng), Katsu (Jpn), Khang (US), Takeda (Jpn); -4 Hall (Eng); -3 Rhodes (Eng), Woad (Eng); -2 M Lee (Aus); E Harry (Wal), Ko (NZ), Korda (US)
Englands Charley Hull produced a wonderful six-under-par 66 to lie three shots off leader Miyu Yamashita heading into Sundays Womens Open finale at Royal Porthcawl.
Yamashitas two-over 74 meant her three-shot advantage at halfway was reduced to one by the end of the third round.
South Koreas A Lim Kim is second on eight under and Andrea Lee of the United States is a shot further back in third, after both carded rounds of 67 on Saturday.
Hull, 29, is one of four players tied for fourth place at six under par.
Yamashita, celebrating her 24th birthday on Saturday, led Rio Takeda by three shots after two rounds and was seven clear of a group sharing third place.
While several of the chasing pack did all they could to add pressure before the Japanese duo teed off, much of that effort would have proved irrelevant had the final group shot low themselves.
However, they registered only one birdie between them in their opening 10 holes and Yamashitas lead was cut to a single stroke when she bogeyed the 10th.
Consecutive birdies at the 11th and 12th restored a cushion, but Yamashita dropped two further shots heading home and it took an incredible long-range putt to save par on the 17th to ensure she would take a solo lead into the final round.
With wind and showers forecast on Sunday, a fascinating conclusion awaits in south Wales.
Hull has had several close calls at previous majors but is yet to clinch one of her sports biggest prizes.
She made a blistering start to be seven under through 13 holes and, after a solitary bogey at the 14th, made four pars to finish for a round of 66 - Hulls joint-lowest round at a Womens Open.
The 2023 Womens Open runner-up said: "I hit it in the bunker on the first and made a good up-and-down there. Then I just made birdies when I gave myself an opportunity to make a birdie, apart from the last hole.
"I just kind of enjoy chasing. I like it. Its more fun that way."
Three more English players are within six shots of the lead heading into the final round.
Georgia Hall, the 2018 Womens Open champion, was another player to fly up the leaderboard thanks to a fast start.
Like Hull, Hall dropped her first shot of the day at the 14th and followed that up with another bogey at the 15th as she carded a four-under 68.
"Obviously Im very happy with my round, but I think I let some go at the end," she said.
"I feel like it could be a bit better. I think if I can get started tomorrow like I did today, then well see what happens and see where I am."
Lottie Woad and Mimi Rhodes are both three under for the championship and just outside the top 10 following rounds of 71 and 70 respectively.
While many prospered in the Saturday sunshine, the challenge of world number one Nelly Korda faded with a two-over round of 74, which left the American level par for the tournament.
