Noh closes in on major breakthrough as Royal Lytham flips script

MANILA, Philippines — Royal Lytham and St. Annes once again proved why no lead is ever safe, turning Moving Day at the AIG Women's Open into a ruthless test of patience, precision and nerve. As overnight leader Haeran Ryu and the chasing pack lost their footing on the demanding back nine, Yealimi Noh found hers, piecing together a gutsy 69 to storm into a commanding three-shot lead entering Sunday's final round.

In a matter of a few holes, the championship was turned on its head.

Noh, the 25-year-old Californian with just one LPGA Tour victory to her name, suddenly found herself on the doorstep of a career-defining breakthrough. Her two-under card lifted her to a 54-hole total of 206, three clear of a formidable group at 209 that includes Ryu, Shiho Kuwaki, Esther Henseleit, Lucy Li and world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul.

"I just want to focus on playing the round," said Noh, embracing the biggest Sunday of her career. "I don't want to think too much about the lead. Just settle into a good tempo and have fun out there.”

Noh credited her fiance, an amateur golfer, for helping her rediscover the joy of the game. The pair played Sahalee, the tree-lined course outside Seattle, last week instead of competing in the Scottish Open.

"Good practice for this week avoiding all those trees, helping me avoid these bunkers," she said.

Skipping the Scottish Open also proved a timely decision.

"It was good for me to go home and reset, refresh and come here with a different mindset," said Noh.

Ranked No. 69 in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings and No. 95 in the Race to the CME Globe standings, Noh arrived at Royal Lytham having missed three straight cuts and without a Top-10 finish since last year. Her lone previous brush with major glory came at the 2021 Evian Championship, where she missed a playoff by one stroke.

Her climb to the top was anything but straightforward.

Starting two shots behind Ryu, Noh appeared to drift further out of contention after bogeying Nos. 4 and 5. Although she birdied Nos. 6 and 9 against another dropped shot at the seventh, she reached the turn at one-over for the day and four-under overall.

Then Royal Lytham changed everything.

While the course relentlessly punished those trying to protect their positions, Noh attacked at the right moments. She birdied the first two holes at the back before adding another on the 16th, surrounding those gains with a string of composed pars that became increasingly valuable as the wind and pressure intensified.

At the same time, the leaders unraveled.

Ryu, who had looked every bit the emerging star after winning the previous two majors and taking a halfway lead, followed a roller-coaster front nine of three birdies and three bogeys with costly bogeys on Nos. 10, 12 and 14. She signed for a three-over 74.

Kuwaki also lost momentum after making the turn at even par. Bogeys on two of her final three holes resulted in a 73, dropping her into the five-way tie for second.

Their collapse reopened the championship for a host of contenders.

Henseleit charged with five birdies through her first 12 holes before a bogey at the 15th stalled her momentum, though she still carded a brilliant 67. Li overcame two bogeys with four birdies, including on No. 17 for a 69, while former World No. 1 Thitikul battled to a one-over 72 highlighted by a determined closing stretch of pars to remain firmly in contention.

And with Royal Lytham refusing to yield to anyone, even those several shots adrift remain very much alive.

Lottie Woad kept her hopes of a maiden major title intact with a 70 to reach 210, four behind Noh, while Ayaka Furue surged back into the conversation with the day's best round, a 65, joining Minami Katsu, Charley Hull and Chanettee Wannasaen, who all carded 71s, at 211.

History has shown that Royal Lytham can produce dramatic swings in momentum, and with its punishing bunkers, thick rough and unpredictable winds still waiting over the final 18 holes, even players beginning Sunday well off the pace could quickly force their way into contention with one sustained run.

Meanwhile, two-time US Women's Open champion Yuka Saso showed flashes of brilliance but could not sustain her charge. After two birdies on the front nine, the ICTSI-backed Fil-Japanese struggled through the demanding inward half, mixing birdies on the 11th and 16th with bogeys on Nos. 10, 12, 14 and 15 to settle for an even-par 71 and a share of 27th at 216.

Still, the spotlight now belongs to Noh.

Three shots may appear comfortable, but Royal Lytham has already demonstrated how quickly fortunes can change. With five accomplished pursuers within striking distance and several more capable of mounting a Sunday surge, Noh will need every ounce of composure, resilience and shot-making she possesses if she is to capture her first major championship.