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Anna Nordqvist and Nanna Koerstz Madsen lead into the last round of the Women's British Open with chasing Aussies Su Oh and Minjee Lee holding faint hopes.
Sweden's Anna Nordqvist has recorded the round of the week to make the biggest trip on moving day at the Women's British Open while Denmark's Nanna Koerstz Madsen has joined her in a Scandinavian takeover at the top of a still congested leaderboard at Carnoustie.
Going into Sunday's last round, though, it's still anybody's title with only four shots separating the top 17 players in the field going into the last round - including Melbourne's Su Oh who's on five-under while the co-leaders stand on nine-under.
Neither will Oh's compatriot Minjee Lee have ruled out the prospect of back-to-back major wins as she sits a further shot back at five off the lead after what proved a disappointing level par 72 on a fairly benign day by fiendish Carnoustie standards.
It's all so wide open, though, that there's still even the completely outlandish prospect of the brilliant young Scottish amateur Louise Duncan, who's been delighting the home crowd with her fairytale performance, pulling off an incredible win as she's just two off the lead following a four-under-par 68.
It was two-time major winner Nordqvist, though, who led the way with a faultless seven-under-par 65 in the murky, damp but not too windy conditions that jumped her 22 places up the leaderboard alongside Madsen, who shot 68.
Oh led the Australian challenge with her one-under-par round but it was a pretty mixed bag for the 25-year-old Texan-based player as she recorded four bogeys and five birdies.
She was, though, grateful to come home strong over the last eight holes, which she played in three-under.
"Just kind of got off to a bad start, didn't really hit many fairways and then life was really hard," she said.
"But I made some really good up-and-downs and sort of finished well which I was very happy with. I actually really love it here. It stresses me out but I think that's really good that you have to think about every shot."
Lee never really got going as she sought to put herself in position to follow up her Evian Championship victory with another major title, a bogey at the last meaning she'll have to shoot something special to win on Sunday.
For the second day running, Sydney's Steph Kyriacou battled back from unpromising beginnings, with two bogeys in the first five holes followed immediately by three straight birdies from the sixth.
Only a bogey at the last spoiled her fun as she ended up at three-under, still only six off the lead while Hannah Green is a shot further back after also shooting 71.
World No.1 Nelly Korda is, of course, not to be discounted after her round of 70 left her on six-under, the same as Britain's Georgia Hall who slipped from her overnight joint lead with a 73.
But Duncan, a 21-year-old student at Scotland's Stirling University who earned the roar of the day by sinking her birdie at the 18th, would be the most extraordinary of winners.
She'd set out just to try to make the weekend and win the Smyth Salver that is awarded to the leading amateur but is now beginning to dream even bigger.
"I just wanted to try and not embarrass myself," she smiled. "I'm excited to get out there tomorrow even if the weather is going to be like this. Hopefully, it blows a wee bit as well!"
