Aditi Ashok had an off-day at the Carnoustie Links as she carded a roller-coaster three-over 75 in tough and challenging weather conditions to slip to T-58 with one round to go in the AIG Women's Open.
Aditi, who began the week nicely with 71, had a rough start with three bogeys in a row from second to fourth but made up with three birdies in a row from sixth to eighth and turned in even par.
On the back nine of the Links course, she bogeyed 11th and closed with a double bogey on the tough 18th. Sweden's Anna Nordqvist produced the best round of the week with a sensational 65 and was the co-leader heading into the final day.
On a day when the weather conditions took a turn for the worse, it was the Swedish star who stood out from the pack carding a bogey-free round of 65. The two-time Major winner rolled in her first birdie on the third hole before making three more consecutively on six, seven and eight to make the turn in 32.
Nordqvist added three further birdies on the back nine to climb up the leaderboard and sit one nine-under-par with one round to play. Nanna Koerstz Madsen continued her consistent form in the tournament as after posting rounds of 70 and 69 on the first two days, the Dane followed that with a 68 in the third round. The highlight was an eagle on the 12th.
In outright third place is American Lizette Salas, runner-up in 2019, after she carded a round of 70 to be 8-under-par. Four players are two shots adrift of the leaders on seven-under-par heading into the final day including Finland's Sanna Nuutinen.
Seven players sit in a tie for eighth place on six-under-par including England's Georgia Hall, who was the co-leader at the halfway point.
NISHTHA MADAN DROPS LATE BOGEY BUT STAYS TOP-20 LPGA Q-SCHOOL
India's Nishtha Madan shot an even par 72 to keep herself inside Top-20 at Stage I of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament here.
The 23-year-old, who has won four times on the Cactus Tour in Arizona, was flying high at 3-under through first 10 holes and well inside Top-10 at Shadow Ridge.
Then Nishtha dropped three shots on the 11th, 12th and most disappointingly on 18th to fall to even par and T-18th.
They still have one more round to go.
Things were, however, not so great for the other three Indians as Nikita Arjun (77-74-69), Saaniya Sharma (78-73-73) and Sharmila Nicollet (76-77-73) missed the cut after 54 holes.
After three rounds, Huize Lian of China is back on top of the leaderboard after a 5-under par 67 on the Pete Dye Course.
Lian is 14-under overall and has a two-stroke lead with 18 holes remaining.
Players finishing in the top-95 and ties will advance to Stage II from October 21-24 in Venice on the Panther Course and Bobcat Course at Plantation Golf and Country Club.
The tournament is being played on two courses, the Shadow Ridge and Peter Dye courses.
A third-round 67 launched Australia's Amelia Garvey into a tie for second with 36-hole leader Agathe Laisne at 12-under.a
