Unflappable former world No.1 Jiyai Shin has emerged from the pack to steal the outright Australian Open third-round lead in Melbourne.
Shin conjured some late magic to enrich her extraordinary consistency to grab an unbelievable two-shot benefit over in-form residence hope Hannah Inexperienced on Saturday.
Chasing a second Open victory, after profitable in Canberra in 2013, Shin chipped in on the seventeenth gap, then drained a protracted bomb on the final to soar to 14 underneath par for the championship.
The 2-time British Open champion finally signed for a stunning six-under 67 on the rainswept Kingston Heath Golf Membership and has, amazingly given the circumstances, solely made two bogeys via 54 holes.
With an astonishing six birdies in a row mid-round, Inexperienced had appeared destined to guide into the ultimate spherical earlier than an unlucky double-bogey stumble on the seventeenth.
The world No.6 left her second shot within the entice after her ball clipped the lip of the bunker, then missed her bogey putt try earlier than Shin chipped in on the exact same gap for a loopy late four-shot swing on the prime.
Displaying the category that has already yielded three titles on the LPGA Tour this yr, Inexperienced bounced again along with her eighth birdie of the day on the final to signal for a 68.
At 12 underneath, the 27-year-old West Australian is 2 behind Shin and two in entrance of South Africa’s two-time defending champion Ashleigh Buhai, who matched Shin’s 67.
With 20-year-old Queenslander Justice Bosio six pictures off the tempo in fourth, the match seems to be a three-way battle for the Patricia Bridges Bowl after 5 gamers had held at the very least a share of the lead on a day of fluctuating fortunes.
Bosio was a kind of after following up a birdie on the ninth with an eagle three at No.10 to go prime on her personal at 12 underneath.
However the former beginner star and 2023 Karrie Webb Scholarship recipient dropped 4 pictures on the again 9.
Fellow Australian Steph Kyriacou is solo fifth, one stroke behind Bosio at seven underneath after mixing an eagle and 5 birdies with 4 bogeys and eight pars in a tumultuous spherical of 70.
Shin’s 17-year-old compatriot Hyojin Yang’s audacious try and win the Open as an beginner seemingly got here to an finish because the midway chief carded a 76 to hunch to 6 underneath and outright sixth.
Twin main winner Minjee Lee was an enormous early mover in horrible circumstances to start out the day.
The previous world No.2 defied driving rain to carve out an excellent bogey-free 69 to storm as much as eleventh at one underneath.
