AIG Women’s Open R3

Women’s Open 2021 R3
August 19-22
Carnoustie Golf Links, Carnoustie, Scotland
$5,800,000
Round 1, Round 2, Round 4

Estimated reading time: 9 minutes

Two Scandinavian players head a star-studded leaderboard going into the final round of the AIG Women’s Open at Carnoustie.

Sweden’s Anna Nordqvist and Nanna Koerstz Madsen from Denmark share the lead on nine-under-par after impressive rounds in challenging, wet conditions in Angus.

Women’s Open 2021 R3

Nordqvist signed for a best-of-the-week score of seven-under-par 65 to surge through the international field, while Koerstz Madsen added a third-round 68 for her nine-under total.

Nordqvist was in sparkling form in her bogey-free round, which was kick-started with three birdies in a row from the sixth. The 34-year-old, who won the R&A Girls’ and Women’s Amateur championships in her amateur days, has enjoyed local support given her partner is Scot, Kevin McAlpine.

Women’s Open 2021 R3

“I feel like I’ve been playing really solid this week and last week at the Scottish Open I hit the ball really well, so I think it’s been coming together for a while. I hit a lot of fairways and a lot of greens today which gave me a lot of good chances.

“I made a few good putts out there, especially on 8, a longer one, and I had to stay patient around the turn. I had good chances on 9, 10, 12 and 13, I feel like all inside like 12 feet, and then I didn’t make any. It was nice to finish with a birdie on 15 and 17. I’m very happy with my round and feel like I’ve been staying patient this week and just letting it come to me instead of trying to force it.”

Women’s Open 2021 R3

While Nordqvist is chasing a third major title, Koerstz Madsen, 26, is seeking the biggest win of her career and highlighted her round with an eagle at the par-5 12th.

“I’ve just got to try and calm down my nerves and remember that I’m playing good golf right now, so that’s what I’m going to try and focus on. I played quite steady out there. I hit a lot of greens. I would have liked somewhere been closer to the pin but also made some good putts. I’m happy with the round.”

The USA’s Yealimi Noh had reached 10-under-par only to drop four shots over Carnoustie’s demanding last three holes, meaning the consistent Lizette Salas is the nearest challenger to the top two after the American added a 70 for an eight-under-par total.

“I think at some point we were going to have to mentally prepare for conditions like this and I think it really forced me to go back to boring golf instead of trying to be aggressive,” said Salas. I think the wet conditions really kind of settled everything. I got off to a little shaky start and after the bogey on the 5th, I think the momentum switched and I was able to hit really good shots coming down the stretch to give myself good looks.”

Women’s Open 2021 R3

Four players are placed on seven-under-par, including Scottish amateur Louise Duncan as the 21-year-old Women’s Amateur champion continued her dream week after a superb 68. Nordqvist won the Smyth Salver as leading amateur at the championship in 2008, with Duncan in pole position for that honour as well as chasing the title itself.

“My putting has been key for me this week,” said Duncan. “My putting has been really solid and just all my game, really. I’ve hit the ball great and drove the ball really nicely. Obviously, I don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow. Carnoustie has a record for disasters! I think it’s been great for the three amateurs (Annabell Fuller and Lauren Walsh) that got through to the weekend. I think it’s given us a good bit of confidence going down to the Curtis Cup next week.”

World number 12 Lexi Thompson, Finland’s Sanna Nuutinen and Madelene Sagstrom from Sweden are also placed on seven-under-par, with world number one Nelly Korda, Brooke Henderson, Georgia Hall and the Jutanugarn sisters, Ariya and Moriya, among those threatening on six-under.

“We got the first nine in great weather, not too much wind, really the whole day and we were unfortunate with the rain coming in, but you expect that coming over here,” saod Thompson. “It’s a demanding golf course in general. You have to hit those tee balls and trust those lines out there, really play for those bounces around the green and trust those golf shots. Putting weather into play makes it more difficult and you just have to stay in the moment and focus on one shot at a time.”

Women’s Open 2021 R3

Pos.	Player	To Par	Scores	Total
T1	Anna Nordqvist	-9	71-71-65	207
T1	Nanna Koerstz Madsen	-9	70-69-68	207
3	Lizette Salas	-8	69-69-70	208
T4	Sanna Nuutinen	-7	70-71-68	209
T4	Louise Duncan (a)	-7	68-73-68	209
T4	Madelene Sagstrom	-7	67-73-69	209
T4	Lexi Thompson	-7	69-70-70	209
T8	Ariya Jutanugarn	-6	71-71-68	210
T8	Brooke M. Henderson	-6	71-69-70	210
T8	Nelly Korda	-6	67-73-70	210
T8	Moriya Jutanugarn	-6	72-67-71	210
T8	Yealimi Noh	-6	70-69-71	210
T8	Sei Young Kim	-6	67-71-72	210
T8	Georgia Hall	-6	68-69-73	210
T15	Ayaka Furue	-5	74-70-67	211
T15	Su Oh	-5	71-69-71	211
T15	Leona Maguire	-5	72-67-72	211
T18	Pajaree Anannarukarn	-4	72-72-68	212
T18	Atthaya Thitikul	-4	71-73-68	212
T18	Marissa Steen	-4	73-70-69	212
T18	Patty Tavatanakit	-4	71-72-69	212
T18	Brittany Lincicome	-4	71-72-69	212
T18	Leonie Harm	-4	70-73-69	212
T18	Minjee Lee	-4	71-69-72	212
T18	Hinako Shibuno	-4	70-70-72	212
T18	Wichanee Meechai	-4	71-68-73	212
T27	Stephanie Kyriacou	-3	72-70-71	213
T27	Jenny Shin	-3	71-71-71	213
T27	Nasa Hataoka	-3	70-72-71	213
T27	Matilda Castren	-3	73-68-72	213
T27	Yuka Saso	-3	68-71-74	213
T27	Mina Harigae	-3	70-67-76	213
T33	Jeongeun Lee6	-2	72-72-70	214
T33	Megan Khang	-2	77-66-71	214
T33	Hannah Green	-2	73-70-71	214
T33	Alice Hewson	-2	73-70-71	214
T33	Gaby Lopez	-2	70-73-71	214
T33	Paula Reto	-2	72-70-72	214
T33	Eun-Hee Ji	-2	72-69-73	214
T40	Angel Yin	-1	73-72-70	215
T40	Stacy Lewis	-1	73-71-71	215
T40	Perrine Delacour	-1	73-71-71	215
T40	Elizabeth Szokol	-1	72-72-71	215
T40	Lydia Ko	-1	72-71-72	215
T40	Gerina Piller	-1	72-70-73	215
T46	Kelsey MacDonald	E	75-70-71	216
T46	Carlota Ciganda	E	69-75-72	216
T46	Albane Valenzuela	E	70-73-73	216
T49	Haeji Kang	+1	73-72-72	217
T49	Emily Kristine Pedersen	+1	71-74-72	217
T49	Nicole Broch Larsen	+1	75-68-74	217
T49	Marina Alex	+1	72-70-75	217
T53	Felicity Johnson	+2	75-69-74	218
T53	Lauren Stephenson	+2	71-73-74	218
T53	Jenny Coleman	+2	72-69-77	218
T56	Brittany Altomare	+3	70-75-74	219
T56	Lauren Walsh (a)	+3	74-69-76	219
T58	Aditi Ashok	+4	71-74-75	220
T58	Annabell Fuller (a)	+4	71-73-76	220
60	Chella Choi	+5	71-72-78	221
T61	Jessica Korda	+6	73-72-77	222
T61	Inbee Park	+6	70-75-77	222
T61	Laura Davies	+6	74-70-78	222
T64	Christine Wolf	+7	73-72-78	223
T64	Jennifer Kupcho	+7	71-73-79	223
T64	Andrea Lee	+7	68-75-80	223
CUT	Austin Ernst		76-70	146
CUT	Ssu-Chia Cheng		75-71	146
CUT	Jennifer Song		75-71	146
CUT	Mi Hyang Lee		73-73	146
CUT	Sarah Schmelzel		73-73	146
CUT	Emma Talley		73-73	146
CUT	Lindsey Weaver		73-73	146
CUT	Celine Herbin		72-74	146
CUT	Alison Lee		72-74	146
CUT	Rose Zhang (a)		72-74	146
CUT	Trichat Cheenglab		78-69	147
CUT	A Lim Kim		76-71	147
CUT	Cydney Clanton		75-72	147
CUT	Gabriella Cowley		75-72	147
CUT	Amy Yang		75-72	147
CUT	Ashleigh Buhai		73-74	147
CUT	Kristen Gillman		73-74	147
CUT	Maha Haddioui		73-74	147
CUT	Whitney Hillier		73-74	147
CUT	Bronte Law		73-74	147
CUT	Agathe Sauzon		73-74	147
CUT	Celine Boutier		72-75	147
CUT	Ally Ewing		72-75	147
CUT	Sophia Popov		72-75	147
CUT	Olivia Cowan		71-76	147
CUT	Kylie Henry		71-76	147
CUT	Charley Hull		77-71	148
CUT	Sung Hyun Park		76-72	148
CUT	Prima Thammaraks		76-72	148
CUT	Serena Aoki		75-73	148
CUT	Laura Fuenfstueck		75-73	148
CUT	Christina Kim		75-73	148
CUT	Johanna Gustavsson		74-74	148
CUT	Esther Henseleit		72-76	148
CUT	Angela Stanford		72-76	148
CUT	Manon De Roey		76-73	149
CUT	Chloe Williams		76-73	149
CUT	Erika Hara		75-74	149
CUT	Mel Reid		75-74	149
CUT	In Gee Chun		74-75	149
CUT	Azahara Munoz		74-75	149
CUT	Marianne Skarpnord		74-75	149
CUT	Karolin Lampert		73-76	149
CUT	Magdalena Simmermacher		73-76	149
CUT	Ryann O’Toole		71-78	149
CUT	Cheyenne Knight		78-72	150
CUT	Ursula Wikstrom		78-72	150
CUT	Pia Babnik		77-73	150
CUT	Gemma Dryburgh		76-74	150
CUT	Jaye Marie Green		75-75	150
CUT	Jodi Ewart Shadoff		73-77	150
CUT	Mi Jung Hur		72-78	150
CUT	Katherine Kirk		72-78	150
CUT	Ingrid Lindblad (a)		77-74	151
CUT	Tsubasa Kajitani (a)		76-75	151
CUT	Danielle Kang		76-75	151
CUT	Muni He		74-77	151
CUT	Aline Krauter (a)		74-77	151
CUT	Annabel Dimmock		73-78	151
CUT	Nuria Iturrioz		78-74	152
CUT	Giulia Molinaro		78-74	152
CUT	Luna Sobron Galmes		78-74	152
CUT	Pornanong Phatlum		75-77	152
CUT	Caroline Masson		73-79	152
CUT	Ana Belac		72-80	152
CUT	Mo Martin		78-75	153
CUT	Catriona Matthew		78-75	153
CUT	Amy Olson		78-75	153
CUT	Pernilla Lindberg		75-78	153
CUT	Anne van Dam		75-78	153
CUT	Pannarat Thanapolboonyaras		74-79	153
CUT	Sarah Kemp		78-76	154
CUT	So Yeon Ryu		76-78	154
CUT	Lucie Malchirand		79-76	155
CUT	Cloe Frankish		78-78	156
CUT	Kirsten Rudgeley (a)		86-76	162
WD	Lee-Anne Pace		73
WD	Jasmine Suwannapura		75