Casandra Alexander shrugged off a double-bogey on the 16^th on Saturday to make a good closing birdie on 18 at the Old Course at St Andrews as she carded a brave one-over-par 73 in the third round of the final major championship of the year.

Alexander, who got into the tournament via final qualifying on Monday, is making the most of her first visit to the home of golf, and, at two-under for the championship, she will go into the final round in a share of 10^th. She will take on the expected high winds just five strokes off the lead, which was held at seven-under-par by Jiyai Shin of Korea after her fine five-under-par 67.

Alexander also dropped a shot early on in her round after a solid start with five consecutive pars. The bogey on six was not redeemed until her birdie on 14, but the double-drop came on the 16^th and that set her back. She regained her composure with a solid par on the Road Hole, and then hit her approach to close to 10 feet on the 18^th and made the putt.

Shin won the Women’s Open in 2008 and 2012, and she leads last year’s champion, Lilia Vu of the United States by two. The American carded a round of one-under 71 which included five birdies, one double-bogey, and two bogeys to be within touching distance with 18 holes left to play.

World number one Nelly Korda, who led at the halfway stage, had a trickier day producing a round of three-over 75 to slip down to third place on five-under-par. She had one double-bogey and five bogeys on her scorecard alongside four birdies including one at the last to only be two shots behind leader Shin.

New Zealand’s Lydia Ko and Korea’s Jenny Shin are one shot further back in a share of fourth. Four players are in a tie for sixth with China’s Ruoning Yin, Korea’s Jinhee Im, Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul and American Alexa Pano all on three-under-par.

Alexander is one of six players on two-under. Amongst the others are Olympic silver medallist Esther Henseleit of Germany and English favourite Charley Hull.

Ashleigh Buhai slipped to a six-over 78 to drop into a share of 43^rd on three-over, while Lee-Anne Pace was one shot back in a share of 58^th after her one-over 73. Paula Reto was in a share of 75^th on six-over after a four-over 76.