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If Nelly Korda is still to be crowned champion at this AIG Women’s Open, she’ll need to take down a player who knows how to win unlike almost any other.
While many hoped for a blockbuster battle to unfold between the current world No.1 and the home favourite Charley Hull, it was the 36-year-old Jiyai Shin who surged into contention at St Andrews.
The former world No.1 from South Korea – with 64 worldwide wins to her name – made seven birdies in a sublime 67 on Saturday to lead Lilia Vu by one shot heading into Sunday’s finale.
Defending champion Vu posted an up-and-down 71 with a fine birdie at the last, while her flustered playing partner Korda made a steely birdie of her own on 18 to recover and remain two back.
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Yet at one stage on this calmer but breezy Saturday at the Old Course, Korda looked destined to pull away from the pack.
After an early wobble with two opening bogeys, she made three birdies to finish the front nine with a flourish and restore her three-shot overnight cushion. But Korda’s new Spider putter that has worked so well since she made the late addition to her bag on Wednesday also proved her undoing.
Back-t0-back three-putt bogeys on 12 and 13 derailed the American’s round once more and Korda looked shellshocked after driving out-of-bounds on her way to a double-bogey six on 16.
“It’s nice to finish with a birdie, but it wasn’t the best of days,” Korda conceded afterwards.
As Korda stalled, Shin was lapping up the applause as she took the clubhouse lead. The veteran had rolled back the years with the rarest of birdie threes at the ‘Road Hole’ 17th and was determined to enjoy her moment in the sun.
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Shin – the winner of this title in 2008 and 2012 – gave up her LPGA Tour card back in 2014 to play closer to home on the Japanese circuit and her form has since faded, but this performance marks a potentially extraordinary resurgence.
“I keep working hard,” she said afterwards. “I know myself very well now, even different conditions, I can handle by myself. That’s why I’m here.”
Shin has been here before and its fair to say she won’t be getting carried away in all the excitement. “I can’t tell you after, this is a little bit earlier” she said when asked what it would mean to win at such a storied venue.
“I’m focused, today. Now I can go to back to the hotel to relax to prepare for tomorrow.”
England’s Hull, meanwhile, is down but not quite out at two-under.
Hull commanded huge crowds on these hallowed links and, for a very brief moment, shared Korda’s lead. But how the popular 28-year-old will rue a sloppy double-bogey seven on the par-5 fifth – a hole she had birdied on each of the first three days.
She never truly recovered after that, signing for a hugely disappointing 75.
Lydia Ko, on the other hand, is finely poised. The newly crowned Olympic champion – without a major win since 2016 – is three back at four-under alongside South Korean Jenny Shin.
Ruoning Yin, Jinhee Im, Jeeno Thitikul and Alexa Pano are a further shot adrift at minus three.
But as the world No.1 and the game’s dominant force, Korda is still the woman to beat.
“It’s going to be a tough day,” Korda said, bruised after her 75. “I think the winds are going to be high. There could be rain, as well. I’m going to keep a positive attitude. Take it one shot at a time. I played really well the first two days, so I’m going to take that momentum into tomorrow.”
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