Yang Yun-seo, a 2008-born amateur from Incheon Girls' High School affiliated air-and-correspondence high school, held a share of the lead at the Korea Women's Open despite a late stumble in the third round.
Yang carded a 1-over-par 72 on Friday at the Sangil and Supgil courses (par 71) of Lakewood Country Club in Yangju, Gyeonggi Province, in the third round of the "Mercedes-Benz 40th Korea Women's Open Golf Championship," combining four birdies, two bogeys and one triple bogey. With a halfway total of 3-under-par 210, Yang enters the final round tied for first with Kim Min-sol.
Yang, who had taken the sole lead in the second round, sailed along by collecting three birdies on the front nine. She wavered on the back nine. After making bogeys on the 12th and 14th holes, her tee shot on the 15th went into the rough, and her second shot landed in a penalty area, resulting in a triple bogey.
Having dropped from the sole lead, Yang rallied again on the final 18th hole. She placed her second shot 1.6 meters from the cup and made the birdie to reclaim a share of the lead.
Yang is a formidable amateur who won the Asia-Pacific Women's Amateur Golf Championship in February and was recently selected to the national team for women's golf at the 2026 Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games. In April, she drew attention at the Chevron Championship, an LPGA Tour major, where she stood tied for 16th through the third round.
"I lost shots on the back nine because my concentration dropped, but I'm satisfied with how I finished," Yang said after the round. "As an amateur, I have nothing to lose, so I'll approach the fourth round with that mindset."
Amateur players have won the Korea Women's Open only four times: Jung Il-mi (1993), Kim Mi-hyun (1995), Jang Jeong (1997) and Song Bo-bae (2003). If Yang reaches the top, she would become the first amateur winner in 23 years.
Kim Min-sol, a "super rookie" born in 2006, shot a 3-under 68 to climb from a tie for fourth into a share of the lead. Choi Ga-bin and Patcharajutar Kongkraphan of Thailand sat tied for third with a halfway total of even-par 213.
"Legend" Shin Ji-yai shot a 1-under 70 for a halfway total of 1-over-par 214, tied for fifth, while Park Min-ji, who is aiming for her 21st career win, faces the final round at 4-over 217, tied for 17th.
