But while Lee faltered, her compatriots charged on at the top end of the field, and at the end of the day the lead was held by Kim Hyo-joo, Evian winner in 2014 when she set the course record of 61 as a 19-year-old, who followed yesterday’s 64 with a 65 that sees her into tomorrow’s final round on 15 under par.

Just one shot behind her is South Korea’s world number one, Park Sung-hyun, who is in search of a third major championship victory in three years after winning the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in 2017 and the US Women's Open last year.

Three shots behind her are two more Koreans – Ko Jin-young, the world number two who won her first major this year at the ANA Inspiration, and seven-times major winner Inbee Park.

Lee is level with the only other player in the top six – China’s major winner Shanshan Feng – and a fifth Korean win in this event within the past 10 editions looks all but certain.

Best on the day, however, was Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn, who after rounds of 70 and 71 shot 64 today to move to eight under.

The third round was scheduled earlier than originally planned in order to try to avoid weather interference following the suspension of play for around an hour on Friday because of a thunderstorm at the Evian Resort Golf Club in Évian-les-Bains, in the French Alps.

Minutes after Kim had completed her round, play was suspended when the heavens opened.

As Inbee Park hinted, the title looks like being between the two current leaders.

“I think that I'm maybe too far back,” she told the Ladies Professional Golf Association.

“Hyo-joo and Sung-hyun played really well again today.

“I'll give it my best tomorrow, try to post the lowest round possible, we'll see what happens.”

The Championship purse, increased this year to $4.1million (£3.3million/€3.7million), is the second-richest in women’s golf after the US Open, which offered $5million (£4million/€4.5million) in 2017.