Haeran Ryu spent loads of time in the sand on Saturday and she's got her bucket and spade out again today as she finds the right bunker with her approach into the fourth.

She splashes out past the cup and can't make the return putt for her par.

Yealimi Noh misses the green on the par-three first and ends up leaving herself a tricky putt from 15 feet.

She pulls out the broomstick and calmly rolls it in.

Not a flicker of emotion from the American.

Esther Henseleit, meanwhile, has a birdie chance but squanders it.

Having bogeyed the fourth Lydia Ko saves her par on the fifth with a mid-range putt that wipes its feet before dropping.

Charley Hull regains one of the two shots she dropped on the third with a slightly uphill putt that disappears for birdie.

What a start for America's Lucy Li as she downs a monster birdie putt at the second.

She's closed to within one of the lead with Jeeno Thitikul remaining at -3 with a par.

Looks like Li has her eye on that trophy, pictured just behind her at the first tee about 20 minutes ago.

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Lottie Woad throws her head back in frustration at green on the third as birdie putt from about 12 feet whistles just past the hole. She has to settle for par.

Woad was 43rd in the putting statistics on Saturday.

So if she wants to make any inroads at all today, you'd think that she'd need the flatstick to be scorchio.

The hottest player on the course right now is Sara Kouskova from the Czech Republic.

She's just birdied the 14th hole - her seventh of the day - and moved to -2 for the tournament.

It's probably too far back to realistically challenge, but what a performance.

We'll follow her coming in to see what total she posts.

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Yealimi Noh is about to tee off.

She is aiming to become the 10th winner of the Women’s Open from the USA and the first since Lilia Vu in 2023.

Noh has one victory on the LPGA Tour, the 2025 Founders Cup and her best finish in a major is third at the 2021 Evian Championship when she finished one stroke short of reaching a play-off.

No player has held a three-stroke lead after 54-holes and failed to go on to win the Women’s Open.

Haeran Ryu has a birdie putt on the second but this is staying straight and tracks a line parallel to the hole without ever threatening it.

Shiho Kuwaki picks up a shot after a lovely approach puts her in close. It is getting tight at the top.

I talked up Jeeno Thitikul a moment ago but finding the bunker off the tee at the par-three first was far from ideal.

She gets out easily enough but misses from six feet for par and starts with a bogey.

Better news from Lucy Li though as she strokes in a fine birdie putt and moves within two.

Haeran Ryu opens with a birdie. Could she make it three majors in a row?

Some of the statistics which back up Yealimi Noh's impressive round from Lytham yesterday.

She averaged 255.5 yards off the tee, made out of eight of 14 fairways and hit 10 out of 18 greens.

It was with the putter that the American excelled, though, averaging 1.44 per green - the joint fewest along with Germany's Esther Henseleit who she partners today.

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World number two Jeeno Thitikul was on fire in the first round, racing to -7 and a two-shot lead over the field after day one.

Since then, the leading score has remained the same, but the talented Thai has gone backwards. Two over on Friday and one over on Saturday, she starts the final round three back of Yealimi Noh.

While Thitikul has never won a major, she does have 11 top-10 finishes in her career and will be a threat today.

Yealimi Noh played golf from the gods at times on Saturday.

If you think I'm exaggerating just have a look at the bunker shot she played on the 17th on her way to securing a three-shot lead over the field.

Charley Hull has to take a drop on the third hole and can only chop her third shot out from the rough back towards the fairway.

From there she finds the dance floor but can't sink a long putt to limit the damage to just a bogey.

Haeran Ryu led by four strokes at one stage on Saturday before things started to go pear shaped.

But she has won the previous two majors and would become the first player since her fellow countrywomanParkIn-beein 2013 to win three major titles in a single season if she were to triumph here.

She would also become only the fifth player ever to achieve that feat alongside Park, Pat Bradley (1986), Mickey Wright (1961) and Babe Zaharias (1950).

Lottie Woad was a little wayward with her tee shot at the par-three first and it ends up costing her a shot.

She chips to within 10 feet, but slide a testing little putt wide of the hole.

A bogey to start with the Englishwoman who curses to herself.

Trouble for Nelly Korda down the par-five sixth. It's played as the easiest hole on the course this week - she's birdied it every round so far - but after dumping her third shot in the greenside bunker, she's flown the putting surface with her fourth.

A bogey on the fifth stalled her good start and now she is facing probably at least another dropped shot.

The world number one stalks after her ball. Not what she had in mind.

Charley Hull is on her hands and knees looking under a small tree and some bushes over on the third accompanied by a rules official. This does not look good.

There is no birdie for Charley Hull on the second but she comes mightily close, running a putt up to the hole from 20 feet to gimme range.

Lydia Ko does make her three though, knocking in a putt from pin high from around 10 feet.

Lottie Woad is about to tee off in the final round with the chance to cap a fine summer with a first major.

The 22-year-old has looked measured on the greens, and saved pars well, to keep herself firmly in contention.

There will be plenty of support for one of the home favourites at Royal Lytham & St Annes.