The third round of the AIG Women’s Open has been a true moving day. That’s what links and the capricious northern winds are like. The day started quite calm, and in the last nine holes of the final matches, the wind picked up significantly. The first consequence is that the leaderboard has tightened considerably. Miyu Yamashita (-9) started this Saturday with a three-shot lead over Rio Takeda and seven over the third place, and she went to bed with only a one-shot lead over A Lim Kim (-8), two over Andrea Lee (-7), and three over Charley Hull (-6), Megan Khang (-6), Minami Katsu (-6), and Takeda herself (-6).
Let’s say it’s a case of hunger meeting appetite. Yamashita lost ground with a round of 74 strokes, and those coming from behind played quite well. The Japanese player remains the favourite because she is the sole leader and because she is not just anyone passing through Royal Porthcawl and playing well this week. At 24, she has broken all records on the Japan Tour, won there 13 times, has the lowest scoring average in the history of that circuit, and has already finished second in a Major, at the KPMG Women’s LPGA. In her first year on the American circuit, she has not yet won, but she is ranked 20th in the Race to CME Globe and is 15th in the world. A very serious contender.
Yamashita’s recent results are equally impressive. She has finished in the top 10 in three of the last five tournaments she has played. Could she lose the Open this Sunday? Without a doubt. But it seems they will have to push her out of there. Today, despite the difficulties, she managed to stay in the lead, even though she missed a birdie putt of just over a metre on the 18th hole. She showed great composure on a difficult day and a sensational short game, something that will be crucial tomorrow.
Paula y Carla se citan este domingo para hacerse un hueco en la historia
The forecast points to a very Welsh day. Rain and strong winds are expected, with gusts that could reach 40-45 kilometres per hour. In other words, it will be necessary to adapt to conditions that will closely resemble a survival day. We’ll see how the Japanese player adapts to a day of this calibre. Certainly, the Korean A Lim Kim thrives in difficult conditions, as demonstrated by that US Open in the midst of the pandemic that she boasts in her record. She is fierce in competition and was very inspired on the greens today.
Obviously, many eyes are on Charley Hull. Today she has given herself a chance to win her first Major and will surely be the crowd favourite tomorrow. We’ll see how she manages all that. If there’s one thing the Englishwoman has taught us throughout her career, it’s that she is capable of the best and the worst. Among those seven should be the victory, as the eighth place is already at -4. However, with conditions as bad as expected tomorrow, the swing of strokes could also be more significant. There at -4 are some important names like Georgia Hall, who has already won this tournament, or Chiara Tamburlini, winner in 2024 of the LET Order of Merit.
As for the Spanish players, Paula Martín (PAR) is four shots away from the top 10, while Carla Bernat (+3) is seven away. They are two who could take advantage of the circumstance of teeing off much earlier than the last matches, as long as the weather cooperates. Whatever happens, Paula will have the extra motivation of playing the final round of the Open with the great New Zealand champion Lydia Ko, an experience to cherish.
