Ryu Hae-ran falls out of lead, remains in hunt for 3rd straight LPGA major

SEOUL, Aug. 2 (Yonhap) -- Korean golfer Ryu Hae-ran has dropped out of the lead in her pursuit of a third consecutive LPGA major championship title with a round remaining at the AIG Women's Open in England. Ryu, world No. 3, slipped from first place to a five-way tie for second after a three-over 74 in the third round on Saturday.

She and four other players are now three shots behind Yealimi Noh, who scored a 69 on Saturday to reach seven-under 206. Ryu, who was alone atop the leaderboard through 36 holes at seven-under, experienced a four-shot lead that vanished due to five bogeys over the next eight holes. Despite the setback, Ryu remains within reach of Noh, with 18 holes left in the competition.

Ryu aims to become the first LPGA player to win three straight majors in a season, joining just five players who have achieved this feat in one year, including Park In-bee in 2013.