Haeran Ryu shot the lowest round in major championship history at the Amundi Evian Championship, carding 60 on Saturday to soar into a three-shot lead heading into the final round.
England's Lottie Woad came into the day with a one-shot lead but went backwards on a disappointing day while compatriot Charley Hull also struggled on Saturday, as both players failed to break par during the third round, with Woad shooting one over.
But South Korean Ryu, who won the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Hazeltine last month, put herself in pole position for Sunday with the first ever round of 60 in a men or women's major championship.
Bizarrely, Ryu seemed unaware that she had made major history on the 18th green.
"I never [knew]," she said. "After I made that birdie and I counted my score as a 60, I was shocked with my caddie. I counted again and said 'oh my god, it's 11 under-par today and he said 'yep'.
"So I never knew and I'm so happy right now."
Ryu started her round with two birdies in the first five holes, and then an eagle at the sixth was followed by further birdies on the seventh and ninth as she carded 29 for her front nine, equalling the best nine-hole score at Evian Resort Golf Club.
Five more birdies followed on the back nine and she even missed an eagle putt on the 18th green for what would have been only the second round of 59 in LPGA Tour history.
"It was an amazing day today, but we have one more day," she added.
"Hopefully tomorrow is - I know it won't be the same - but hopefully almost similar tomorrow. That would be really incredible.
"It was amazing for me because two weeks ago I got a first win in a major and I have another record in a major, so I'm so happy right now."
Overnight leader Woad sat two behind at the turn after recording a pair of birdies and a bogey on her front nine, but an errant drive on 10 saw her card a bogey as the players in front of her continued motoring.
A mistake on 14 saw Woad, who has won twice on the LPGA Tour and finished third in this event last year, drop another shot to move to one-over par for her round and she failed to card another birdie thereafter.
She finished the day tied for sixth and nine shots behind Ryu.
Fellow British star Hull is tied 16th, a further four shots back after matching two birdies on the front nine with two bogeys on the back nine to card a level-par 71.
Aki Iwai picked up six shots in her third round and sits three shots behind Ryu, becoming her main challenger heading into Sunday.
Canadian Brooke Henderson had an up-and-down day with six birdies, two eagles and three bogeys to sit in a tie for third alongside Japan's Mao Saigo who showed good composure on the greens throughout Saturday to sit at 12-under par, seven behind record-setting Ryu.
Casandra Alexander notched nine birdies with a bogey on 17 the only blemish as the South African finished with 63 for her best round of the year, and she sits a shot further back at 11-under par.
Ryu, though, will now be the hot favourite heading into Sunday, with world No 1 Nelly Korda's hunt for a career Grand Slam-clinching victory already over after the American missed the cut for the first time since June 2024.
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