The leaders have started the fourth and final round in sunny and breezy conditions at Royal Birkdale. Taiwan’s Yani Tseng, who has recorded three straight rounds of 68, started at 12 under par a four shot lead over Australian Katherine Hull.
All of the last 14 winners of the Ricoh Women’s British Open were within four shots of the lead going into the final round, suggesting an exciting duel between the top two players today.
Steinhauer came from four shots behind to take the 1998 title, at Royal Lytham, while Se Ri Pak came from four behind at Sunningdale in 2001.
Tseng has lost two 54 hole leads. She had a four shot lead going into the final round of the 2008 CN Canadian Women’s Open but shot 77 and finished third. Hull stood six strokes behind Tseng heading into the final round and fired a smooth 69 for the win.
However Tseng and Hull played together in the penultimate group in the final round of the 2010 Women’s Australian Open and Tseng went on to secure the win.
Tseng was two shots ahead after 54 holes going into the final round of the 2008 State Farm Classic and lost a play-off to Ji Young Oh.
She has lost four leads in total, including two after 36 holes in 54-hole tournaments. Tseng co-led with Na Yeon Choi after 36 holes at the 2009 Hana Bank Colon Championship and finished second. She also co-led with Choi after 36 holes at the 2009 Mastercard Classic and finished second.
Tseng has never led after 54 holes in her three LPGA victories. After three rounds she trailed by one at the 2010 Kraft Nabisco, by one at the 2009 Corning LPGA Classic, and by four at the 2008 LPGA Championship, the site of her first LPGA win.
At the Handa Women’s Australian Open on the Ladies European Tour in March, Tseng trailed by four shots after three rounds and went on to secure the win.
