It has been a trying 2026 LPGA campaign for 25-year old Yealimi Noh.
The six-year pro entered play this week at the AIG Women’s Open in Lytham St. Annes, England, with three consecutive missed cuts, two of which were in major championships.
Noh’s fortunes have changed with a 2-under-par 69 in the third round of the Women’s Open to lead the final major of the year at 7-under 206 through three rounds at Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club.
Noh carded rounds of 67 and 70 to open the tournament to sit just two shots off the pace set by South Korea’s Haeryn Ryu. Her status looked bleak Saturday after taking a bogey 6 on the par-5 seventh hole to fall six shots off the pace of the fast-starting Ryu.
However, Noh made an unlikely birdie at the par-3 ninth hole, which was the start of three consecutive birdies for the one-time LPGA Tour winner. The San Francisco-area native added another birdie at 16 while charging into the lead.
Ryu cooled off and struggled to a 3-over 74 and plummeted into a five-way tie for second place at 4 under for the tournament.
“I don’t know, golf is just crazy,” Noh said about her turnaround from recent struggles. “It’s been making me realize it more and more. It only takes one round for your whole mindset and whole game to change.
“Yeah, I had a really rough couple months. Not even just missing cuts, but just not playing good golf or rounds. And Thursday, I was just really happy to shoot under par and just really set me up for the week.”
Ryu, who is seeking her third consecutive major this season, is tied in second place with Germany’s Esther Henseleit, Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul, Japan’s Shiho Kuwaki and Lucy Li.
Noh, who had 26 putts in her round, appeared to salvage the day with an early break.
“I had a little bit of a rough start a couple bogeys on the front nine,” she said. “Actually a chip-in par save on the second, which was nice. Yeah, I just fell out of tempo a little bit and then got it together for the back nine, and it was really solid. Had some good par saves.”
Ryu got to 9 under with birdies at the third and fourth holes, then bogeyed six of her next 10 holes. After hitting 31-of-36 greens and converting 2-of-3 from the sand over the first 36 holes, Ryu stumbled to 11-of-18 and 0-of-2 respectively on Saturday.
She still will take a positive attitude into Sunday. Two major titles will do that.
“Before I got the major win and then always I’m doing like more pressure and want to more not good for my mindset,” Ryu said. “But these days, after got two wins, I’m still calm because this is a major. Yeah, it’s such a different (feeling than) before I got two wins.”
Henseleit posted the best round of anyone in the top-7 with a 4-under 67.
She went out in 31 and only needed 26 putts on Saturday, knocking in several of considerable length.
“I mean, you have so many long putts so your speed has to be really good,” Henseleit said. I feel like if there is a strength in my putting the speed control on the long ones is that, so I guess it kind of suits my game.”
Li carded a 2 under 69, while Thitikul shot an even-par 72 and Kuwaki shot a 1-over 73.
The day’s best round belonged to Japan’s Ayaka Furue, who carded a 6-under 65. She moved up six spots and is tied for eighth place at 2-under 211.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda shot her second 1-over 73 of the week and is at 1 over for the tournament, tied for 16th place.
–Field Level Media
