ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Two-time champion Jiyai Shin capitalized on a back-nine collapse by top-ranked Nelly Korda to take a one-shot lead after the third round of the Women’s British Open at St. Andrews on Saturday.
Nothing will give the 36-year-old Shin more confidence heading into the final round than how she collected the last of her seven birdies in a 5-under 67 at the home of golf.
On the par-4 17th, the famous Road Hole, the former world No. 1 hit a fairway wood that landed at the front of the green and rolled round to inside two feet from the pin.
That took Shin to 7-under par at the fifth and final major of the year, and it’s the number the South Korean will set off on Sunday in her bid to follow up her titles at the British Open in 2008 and 2012.
Korda is also seeking her third major title - it would be her first at the British Open - but will start two strokes off the lead after seeing her form of the opening two days desert her in shooting 75.
Starting with a three-shot advantage, the American missed short putts for bogeys at her first two holes to drop into a share of the lead, only to regain it with three birdies before the turn.
Korda lost her way on the back nine, missing a par putt from 4 feet at No. 12, another from 5 feet at No. 13 and then making double on No. 16 after pushing her drive out of bounds.
There was another bogey at the 17th - a tough hole she had birdied on Thursday and Friday - but a birdie at the last left Korda in third place.
“It’s nice to finish with a birdie,” Korda said, “but it wasn’t the best of days.”
Defending champion Lilia Vu, playing alongside Korda in the last pairing, rolled in a birdie putt on No. 18 to shoot 71 and be alone in second place.
Olympic champion Lydia Ko (71) and Jenny Shin (70) were tied for fourth.
Charley Hull faded from contention after shooting 75 and was 2 under, five off the lead.
Jiyai Shin was a prodigy, winning the British Open at Sunningdale in 2008 when she wasn’t yet a member of the LPGA. Her victory at Hoylake four years later was by nine shots and was one of the most commanding title triumphs in a women’s major. In between those major wins, she rose atop the world ranking.
However, she resigned her LPGA membership in the United States before the start of the 2014 season and went back to Asia to be close to her father, playing instead in Japan and Korea - all the while continuing to win titles.
“I worry (that I) lost fans, but I met new fans. More new fans,” Shin said. “I keep working hard,” she added. “I know myself very well now - even in different condition, I can more handle by myself. That’s why I’m here.”
Shin birdied Nos. 1 and 2 and really made her move with three consecutive birdies from No. 7 to move one behind Korda. She birdied No. 12 to stay one back and that clinic on No. 17 finally put her in the lead.
“I couldn’t see where ball finished because my height,” Shin said. “I couldn’t see it. I can hear a lot of claps but I couldn’t see where they finished. And then my thought was, ’OK, just make (it to) the green, and then when I come up … to the hole, like wow, so close.”
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