Two-time winner Jiyai Shin stormed to the top of the Women’s Open after an excellent third round at St. Andrews, while Nelly Korda and Charley Hull fell back.

The South Korean holed seven birdies in a five-under-par 67, while the former world number one finished seven under par.

The 36-year-old, who won her two most important victories at this event in 2008 and 2012, is one stroke ahead of defending champion Lilia Vu, with fellow American Korda one stroke behind.

Korda was leading overnight with eight under par, but on Saturday the 26-year-old world number one managed just three over par, or 75 strokes.

She went into the third round with a three-stroke lead and had a mixed day with bogeys on the first two holes, but with three birdies up to the ninth hole she was in the lead at nine under par.

The two-time major winner struggled on the back nine, however, making two bogeys on the 12th and 13th holes before going out of bounds on the par-4 16th. That led to a double bogey, which was followed by another drop shot on the 17th hole.

Korda finished with a birdie but admitted that “it wasn’t the best day.”

“I think (Sunday) is going to be a tough day,” she added. “I think it’s going to be windy. It might rain, too.”

“I will keep a positive attitude and take one attempt at a time.”

Vu and England’s Hull were her strongest challengers overnight, but while Vu maintained her challenge with a 71, Hull, the first-round leader, continued to fade.

Hull finished runner-up in both the Women’s Open and the Women’s US Open last year, following her opening 67 shots with a par 72.

But like Korda, the 28-year-old also shot a 75 on Saturday. She started brilliantly with a birdie on the third hole, which briefly put her in the lead at six under par.

However, a double bogey on the par 5 hole stopped her momentum and further bogeys on holes 11, 16 and 17 caused her to fall down the rankings.

With a birdie on the final hole, Hull, who has yet to win a major title, finished five strokes behind Shin.

In this score, she is tied with 20-year-old English amateur Lottie Woad, who continued to impress with a 72, including holing her second shot from the fairway for an eagle-two on the last hole.

Swiss Albane Valenzuela and German Esther Henseleit are also at two under par after catapulting themselves up the rankings with 66 strokes (six under par).