This post compares the results of round 3 of the 2024 Women’s Open at St. Andrews with my APBA replay of the same event at Birthplace (par 72). As usual, I also describe some of the replay highlights and lowlights that make APBA Golf fun and, at times, frustrating. Previous posts detail the tournament setup and results for rounds 1 and 2.
Actual Results
While the wind shifted from the west in the previous two rounds, in Round 3 it came from the southwest. The other weather and course conditions were similar to the first two rounds. Some leaders struggled to maintain their positions, while others lower down the leaderboard capitalized on the opportunity to make a move.
Jiyai Shin, who had been solid but not dominant in the first two rounds, stepped up her game with a 67 in the third round. Her total score of 209, seven under-par, gave her a one-stroke lead over Lilia Vu, who finished second with a total of 210. Shin’s performance was marked by a steady combination of consistent hitting and solid putting, as she managed to build on her position without letting up. Although she hadn’t been in the lead for the entirety of the tournament, her strong round on Saturday put her in a comfortable spot at the top heading into the final day.
Lilia Vu, who had been near the top throughout the tournament, failed to match Shin’s pace. Her 71 on Saturday was a solid round, but it wasn’t enough to catch the leader. Vu had a strong start, with scores of 69 and 70 in the first two rounds, but she couldn’t replicate that consistency in the third. Despite this, her performance kept her within striking distance, and she was still very much in the hunt for the title.
The biggest change in the third round came from Nelly Korda, who had been tied for the lead after the first two rounds. After shooting two strong rounds of 68, she faltered in the third, posting a 75. The higher score was in sharp contrast to her earlier rounds, and it dropped her to third place at 211, five under-par. Her lackluster performance shows how quickly the leaderboard can shift in a Major tournament, even for the world’s best player.
Tied for fourth at 212 were Lydia Ko and Jenny Shin, both of whom posted rounds of 71 on Saturday. Ko had been five strokes back entering the round, and while her play was steady, she couldn’t make a significant push toward the top spot. Jenny Shin’s round of 70 showed resilience, especially considering that she’d finished with a one over-par 73 in round two. Both players were still well within reach of a top finish, but their scores weren’t enough to make a substantial dent in the leaderboard.
Meanwhile, several players surged up the standings, including Jin-Hee Im, Alexa Pano, and Jeeno Thitikul, all finishing tied for sixth at 213. They posted solid scores of 71 or 69, demonstrating that the third round was about more than just avoiding mistakes; it was about capitalizing on opportunities. Ruoning Yin, who had been in the hunt after rounds of 68 and 72, posted a 73 in round three, remaining tied for sixth, but she too missed an opportunity to make a big move.
For the most part, the third round saw players holding steady or dropping back, but it was Jiyai Shin who took control, using her excellent final round of 67 to push ahead of the pack. The struggles of top players like Korda and Vu, combined with strong performances from those further down the leaderboard set the stage for a highly competitive finish in the final round.
With only one round remaining the top of the leaderboard was tight, and the tournament was very much still up for grabs. The top ten positions for round 3 in the actual event appear below:
Replay Results
On Day 3 of the replay, Nelly Korda held onto her lead with a steady round of 70, moving to nine under-par. Though not a standout performance, it kept her one shot ahead of Jeeno Thitikul, who remained consistent with her third straight sub-par round. Thitikul’s 70 brought her to eight under, keeping pressure on Korda but without closing the gap.
Amy Yang made a strong move with a 68, bringing her to six under for the tournament and into solo third. After opening with two 71’s, she found better rhythm in round three and was one of the few near the top to gain ground.
A group of players settled at five under after round three: Céline Boutier, Lauren Coughlin, Ally Ewing, Mao Saigo, and Lilia Vu. All posted rounds of 70 or 71, keeping them within reach but not gaining on the leaders. Their play was steady, but no one in that group made a push.
Brooke Henderson and Charley Hull posted the best scores of the day with matching 67’s. Henderson recovered well from a second-round 76, while Hull improved after two slower rounds. Both moved to four under, tied for ninth.
Several players who had been strong through two rounds dropped back. Jennifer Kupcho, Alison Lee, and Lexi Thompson were no longer in the top ten after falling off pace in round three. Angel Yin and Hye-jin Choi, who had reached three under through two rounds, followed a similar pattern, unable to keep pace on Saturday and slipping out of contention.
The actual tournament’s eventual winner, Lydia Ko, shot a 72 in round three of the replay, bringing her to a total of 218 (+2). Her earlier rounds of 74 and 72 had already left her well off the lead, and her third round did little to change that. In the context of the replay, her performance was solid but not competitive—she has yet to threaten the top of the leaderboard. In the actual tournament, however, Ko’s rounds of 71, 70, and 71 placed her near the front heading into the final day.
The top ten positions for round 3 of the replay appear below:
Round 3 Replay Highlights
Round three of the replay offered a mix of highlights and setbacks, with both power and precision on display—but also a fair share of mistakes that added up for several players.
Georgia Hall got her round off to a fast start with an eagle on the par 4 1st hole. Not long after, Maja Stark made an eagle of her own on the par 5 5th. Both took early advantage of scoring opportunities.
Off the tee, Jennifer Kupcho and Nelly Korda stood out for their distance. Kupcho’s 315-yard drive found the green on the 7th hole, while Korda recorded the longest drive of the day at 330 yards on the 2nd. Korda also led all players in average driving distance on the two measured holes, at 288 yards, well above the field average of 248. Kupcho led in average distance across all drives at 271.
Putting, however, told a different story for several players. Linnea Ström had a difficult stretch on the greens, including a 4-putt from 15 feet on the 15th hole—one of two four-putts she had on the day. Megan Khang also 4-putted, her misstep coming at the 16th. Lauren Coughlin missed a one-foot putt on the 14th, a small but costly error late in the round.
Bailey Tardy had the roughest time on the greens. She 5-putted the 1st and 4-putted the 8th, finishing with 39 total putts—well above the field average of 33. Her total was the most of any player in this replay series. At the other end of the spectrum, Brooke Henderson needed just 26 putts, the fewest in the field.
Minjee Lee ran into serious trouble early. Her tee shot on the par 4 3rd landed in a whin bush just right of the fairway. It took her four tries to get back into position safely. She eventually reached the green, but needed three putts to finish the hole, walking away with a nine. Despite the setback, she played the final 15 holes at even par and finished with a round of 76.
Accuracy stats across the board showed how fine the margins were. Five players hit 15 of 16 fairways, compared to the field average of 12.9. Four players hit 17 greens in regulation, well above the average of 14.4. Allisen Corpuz holed the longest putt of the day at 39 feet, while Ayaka Furue led in total putting distance made with 119 feet.
Round three of the replay didn’t change the top of the leaderboard significantly, but it did underline how small mistakes could add up quickly. There were plenty of well-played shots and a few standout moments, but for several players, one or two difficult holes defined the day. The notable results for round 3 are listed below:
- Georga Hall eagled no. 1 and Maja Stark eagled no. 5.
- Nelly Korda led all players in average driving distance (two holes) at 288 yards. (Avg. = 248)
- Jennifer Kupcho led all players in average driving distance (all drives) at 271 yards. (Avg. = 246)
- Nelly Korda had the longest drive of 330 yards.
- Five players hit 15 of 16 fairways. (Avg. = 12.9)
- Four players hit 17 of 18 greens on regulation. (Avg. = 14.4)
- Allisen Corpuz sunk the longest putt at 39 feet.
- Ayaka Furue had the longest total distance of putts made at 119 feet (Avg. = 81.2)
- Brooke Henderson had the fewest putts at 26 (Avg. = 33.0)
- Bailey Tardy took the most putts at 39.
- Bailey Tardy 5-putted and 4 putted. Linnea Ström 4-putted twice, and Megan Khang 4-putted.
Recap Through Round 3
As the field of 44 players heads into the final round, the first three days have featured shifting winds and varying course conditions. Round 2 produced the lowest scoring average (71.9), likely due to slightly calmer winds than round 1 and more favorable pin positions than round 3. This last round saw average scoring rise to 72.4 with tougher pin placements and inconsistent putting.
Driving distances have stayed steady throughout the tournament at around 245–246 yards, with a longest drive of 330 yards recorded again this round. Fairway accuracy rebounded to 81% from 79% in round 2, and with improved approach play, greens in regulation increased to 80% from a low of 76% in round 1.
Bunker play was stronger in round 3, with sand saves climbing from 21% to 32%. Putting, however, took a hit, as average putts per round rose by more than a full stroke to 33.0, and both longest putt made and total putt distance dropped from their round 2 peaks.
With blustery winds forecast and even more challenging pin placements expected, the final round of this Major should prove to be a true test of the players’ adaptability.
Complete statistical results for round 3 of the replay can be viewed by clicking in the upper righthand corner of the PDF below: