Kim A Lim delivered a bogey-free 67 on Saturday to surge into contention at the AIG Women’s Open, cutting an eight-shot deficit down to one with a single round remaining. Her move from tied-seventh to solo second was the most significant climb among the leading groups on a day where scoring conditions eased and players capitalised. Kim’s round stood out not just for its efficiency – five birdies, no mistakes – but for its rarity. She was the only player among the final six groups to shoot under par. The 2020 U.S. Women’s Open champion now finds herself at 208 (-8), just behind Japan’s Miyu Yamashita, who holds on to a narrow lead at nine under. Yamashita, who led by as many as five overnight, saw her advantage shrink after a third-round 74 – her highest score of the week. Still, she enters Sunday as the front-runner, but the margin is thin, and the challengers are now crowding.
Andrea Lee matched Kim’s 67, firing seven birdies to pull within two shots of the lead at 209 (-7). Lee began the day nine shots back, but the UCLA alumna now has a real shot at her first major title if she can replicate Saturday’s momentum. inami Katsu posted the best round of the tournament so far: a 65 that tied the week’s low mark. She climbed from tied-35th to tied-fourth at 210 (-6), slicing a twelve-shot gap to just three. Katsu, teeing off at 11:35 -three hours before the leaders – set the pace early and held the clubhouse lead for much of the afternoon. Her six-under was built on control and steady birdie conversions, marking her best position ever in this championship. Her previous high finish was T21 in 2023. Charley Hull, playing in her 14th AIG Women’s Open, matched her personal best round in this event with a 66 – tying the 66 she shot in 2014 at Royal Birkdale. Starting the day eleven shots off the pace, she now sits tied-fourth at 210, three behind. Her surge included seven birdies in a twelve-hole stretch from the 2nd to the 13th. Megan Khang quietly kept herself in contention with a 68, also reaching 210. It’s her best round at this event since Muirfield in 2022. Khang, now in her tenth appearance, is chasing a first major and looking to better her best finish of T11, recorded on debut in 2016. Rio Takeda, who began the day in solo second, faltered with a 74 and dropped into the logjam at 210. While disappointing, she remains just three back, keeping Japan’s hopes alive alongside Yamashita. The third round average of 72.19 was more than two strokes lower than Friday’s 74.425, reflecting improved conditions and strategic adjustments. The cumulative tournament average now sits at 73.39. The par-5 9th remained the easiest hole for a third consecutive day, yielding 1 eagle, 32 birdies, and a stroke average of 4.58. Nine holes in total played under par. The 14th proved the hardest, averaging 4.61. It yielded only two birdies, with 33 bogeys and six double bogeys. Rounding out the toughest holes were the 16th, 17th, 1st, 15th, and 3rd – an indication of how the back nine, particularly in windy conditions, continues to test players’ patience and control. There were four bogey-free rounds: A Lim Kim (67), Jenny Shin (68), Mao Saigo (68), and Hyo Joo Kim (68). Kim’s round, however, stood tallest for its pressure-context and leaderboard implications.
Minami Katsu’s 65 tied the tournament’s best score and was unmatched on the day. Of the past 48 AIG Women’s Open champions, 39 were leading or within two shots of the lead going into the final round. Only two of the last nine winners came from outside that zone – Georgia Hall in 2018 (one back), and Lydia Ko in 2024 (three back). This stat tilts the odds toward Yamashita, Kim, and Lee – but with five players at 210 (-6), the margin for error has evaporated. The final round promises a crowded chase. The leaderboard’s top six are separated by just three shots, and Day 3 proved the course can yield both birdie runs and double-bogeys in quick succession. Kim, Lee, and Hull carry momentum. Yamashita retains the lead but faces pressure from all angles. The champion will likely be the one who holds nerve on the 14th – and takes advantage of the 9th.
