Esther Henseleit’s 67 puts her in contention after 3 rounds at the British Women’s Open

ANNES, England (AP) — Yealimi Noh took advantage of a surprising collapse by Haeran Ryu and found her rhythm at just the right time Saturday, with four birdies over the last 10 holes for a 2-under 69 that gave her a three-shot lead going into the final round of the Women’s British Open. Noh, the 25-year-old Californian with only one LPGA title, played bogey-free on the back nine at Royal Lytham & St. Annes and finished at 7-under 206 to lead over five players.

One of them is Ryu, who is trying to become the first player since fellow South Korean Inbee Park to win three straight majors in the same year. Ryu was headed in that direction with a pair of birdies on the front nine to build a four-shot lead. Her slide began with a bogey on the par-5 seventh, the start of five bogeys in an eight-hole stretch that cost her the lead and put her in a chasing mode the rest of the sunny day along the Lancashire coast of England.

Ryu finished with four straight pars for a 74 and saw the bright side. She kept double bogeys off her card, including the 10th hole when she was against a back lip of a pot bunker. She chipped it forward in the sand and got up-and-down from there for bogey.

Plus, she’s still in range of adding a third major this year to victories in the Women’s PGA Championship and Evian Championship. “Tomorrow supposed to be wind the same as today,” Ryu said. “Today my shot was a little higher than the other two days.

So I’m just trying to keep lower and no bunker.” Nelly Korda, the No. 1 player who captured the first two majors of the year, had her round ruined by a pair of double bogeys, one on the 18th hole that gave her a 73 and left her eight behind. As surprise as Ryu’s collapse was the emergence of Noh, who decided to return home last week instead of playing the Women’s Scottish Open.

She had missed her last three cuts coming into the final LPGA major of the year, and had not registered a top 10 since last October. But she overcame a rocky start with three straight birdies starting on the par-3 ninth, including a birdie putt from 12 feet on the 10th, and avoided mistakes on the firm links coming in. 69 in the women’s world ranking and No.