Women’s PGA Championship third round
-11 H Ryu (Kor); -10 B Henderson (Can); -9 I Yoon (Kor); -8 AL Kim (Kor), D Weber (Ned); -7 N Korda (US), A Lee (US); -6 D.E Lee (Kor), A Kim (US), K Davidson (Aus)
Selected others: -4 E Henseleit (Ger); -1 Carolina Melgrati (Ita), E M Stark (Swe), P Delacour (Fra); +1 L Maguire (Ire) G Dryburgh (Sco)
South Korea’s Ina Yoon let a five-shot lead slip as compatriot Haeran Ryu moved two shots clear of her heading into the final round of the Women’s PGA Championship.
Yoon, who was nine under par after a spectacular opening round, followed that up with a 69 to reach 12 under at the halfway point.
At the end of the second round, though, world number one Nelly Korda had predicted Yoon, who has yet to win a major, would start to feel the pressure.
And it came to pass as a tough third round of 75 in blustery conditions, which included six bogeys, left the 23-year-old two shots behind leader Ryu.
“I was just nervous a lot,” said Yoon. “I missed short putts.
“After 10, I think I found my pace. Even on the front nine, I didn’t do anything different, but I think I was a little unlucky so there was a little frustration there.”
Ryu, 25, backed up her impressive second-round 64 with 68 in the third to reach 11 under.
She said: “My front nine, it was amazing because I got an eagle and three birdies. I started the back nine, it was more windy and a lot of tough putts.
“But I just made one bogey, so it was good for me.”
Korda is eyeing a third major title this year after winning the Chevron Championship and the US Open.
The American shot one under in the third round – three birdies and two bogeys – to finish four off the lead.
Two-time major winner Brooke Henderson is on 10 under and in a strong position to challenge on Sunday for her second Women’s PGA Championship.
The 28-year-old, who won the tournament in 2016, kept Ryu within reach with a round of three under, but admitted the wind had an impact.
“It was affecting everything,” said Henderson. “I feel like it was just hard to judge all day.”
Korda also added the weather will dictate how she approaches the final round.
“Just left a few putts out there,” she said. “Putting in general, when it gets this windy, you have to calculate in the wind, too, and a gust here and there. Sometimes you aren’t as confident with your lines.”
The purse of $13m (£9.8m) this week is the largest in women’s golf history, with $1.95m (£1.48m) awarded to the winner.
