Jiyai Shin capitalizes on Nelly Korda’s back-9 struggles to lead by 1 at Women’s British Open

Two-time champion Jiyai Shin took advantage of top-ranked Nelly Korda’s third-round collapse to take a one-shot lead after the third round of the Women’s British Open at St. Andrews on Saturday.

Nothing will give Shin, 36, more confidence heading into the final round than the way she carded the last of her seven birdies in a 5-under 67 in the country of golf.

On the par-4 17th hole, the famous Road Hole, the former world number one hit a fairway wood that landed on the front of the green and rolled to within two feet of the flag.

That took Shin to 7 under par at the fifth and final major of the year, and is the figure the South Korean will beat on Sunday in her bid to follow her British Open titles in 2008 and 2012.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., shot a 76 on Friday, missing the cut at 9 over in the second round on Friday.
Korda is also seeking her third major title – it would be her first at the British Open – but she will start two shots off the lead after seeing her form from the first two days desert her as she shot a 75.

With a three-shot lead at the start, the American missed short putts for bogeys on her first two holes and fell to a tie for the lead, only to regain it with three birdies before the turn.

Korda got lost on the final nine holes, missing a 4-foot par putt on No. 12, another 5-footer on No. 13 and then making a double on No. 16 after pushing his drive out of bounds.

There was another bogey on the 17th hole — a tough hole she had birdied on Thursday and Friday — but a birdie on the final hole dropped Korda to third.

“It’s nice to finish with a birdie,” Korda said, “but it wasn’t the best of days.”