As young stars falter in Women’s Open, a highly decorated veteran takes charge

[PHOTO: Ross Parker/R&A]

If there is one thing that is never surprising about competitive golf on the Old Course at St Andrews, it is that there is never a shortage of surprises. Playing over the storied humps and hollows is testing enough, but throw in the relentless wind that has dogged this AIG Women’s Open and the recipe for highs, lows and everything in between is complete.

That is perhaps the best explanation for a blustery third day that provided just about every eventuality. There were great rounds – a brace of early 66s from Esther Henseleit and Albane Valenzuela – so-so performances from the likes of defending champion Lilia Vu (71) and Olympic gold medallist Lydia Ko (71) and mediocre-to-bad scores by overnight leader Nelly Korda (75) and last year’s runner-up, Charley Hull (75).

Pride of place on that list and on the leaderboard as things turned out is the 67 recorded by two-time Women’s Open champion Jiyai Shin. Six-shots off Korda’s 36-hole pace at the start of play, the 36-year-old Korean made seven birdies and only two bogeys en route to claiming a one-shot edge over Vu, with Korda another shot back. A further 12 players are within five shots of the lead. Given the events of this blustery day on golf’s most famous course, all will harbour hopes of ultimate victory 18 holes hence.

The highlight of Shin’s day came at the notoriously difficult 17th, the Road Hole. Brandishing a hybrid club, the 2008 and 2012 champion fashioned a magnificent draw off the right side of the elusive putting surface that finished only two feet from the cup.

Still, that she should advance in such spectacular fashion is no real surprise. Well versed in the vagaries of links golf (she won this championship for a second time at Royal Liverpool), Shin was always the biggest threat to Korda’s long-held supremacy.

“This is my third time at St Andrews,” Shin said. “That’s how much I played it, for so long. But not like this tough wind. So that’s why I take all my skill today. The wind is nice to me today.”

Conversely, what a sour-faced Korda thought of it all at first remained a mystery. But quotes eventually appeared, and foremost in her thoughts were the brace of birdies with which she opened her third round account (another pair came along the 12th and 13th) and the disastrous drive she smashed out-of-bounds that led to a double-bogey at the par-4 16th. Hers was not a good day.

“It’s nice to finish with a birdie, but it wasn’t the best of days,” admitted Korda. “But it’s OK. With the double on 16 and bogey on 17, you want to finish on a good note. Hopefully I can take that momentum into tomorrow. It’s going to be a tough day. 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.”

All of which was actually more than Hull had to offer. The home favourite – if an Englishwoman playing in Scotland can ever be described as such – declined comment after her disappointing but not disastrous day.

As ever though, the engaging Ko was more forthcoming about her round, one that contained 15 pars.

“Today I gave myself more opportunities than the past two days,” said the New Zealander. “I got a little frustrated because I wasn’t able to capitalise on some of the really good distance control and quality shots I had. But it was difficult. It’s windy. Sometimes you do look stupid because you miss the green from 60 yards, and it was a decent shot. But there’s a lot of variables when you’re playing a links-style golf course. I feel like I’ve been managing pretty well these past three days.”

There were kind words too, for Shin, who has a uniquely well-travelled record in the game. A winner 11 times on the LPGA Tour (on which she was rookie of the year in 2009), she also has 30 victories to her name on the Japan LPGA Tour, 21 on the Korean LPGA circuit and six more on the Ladies European Tour.

“What she’s done is amazing,” said Ko. “She played in Korea and then came over here [to the LPGA Tour] as world No.1, went back to Japan, dominated there. I don’t know if there’s a single place on planet Earth that she has not dominated in, which is pretty crazy to say.”

Crazy. That’s the perfect word for golf on the Old Course when it gets a wee bit windy. Expect more of the same on day four.