Hull, five back from overnight leader Ally Ewing at the start of her round, carded a four-under 68, with three birdies in a row at holes 15 through 17 pushing her to the top of the leaderboard.

Lilia Vu joined her there soon after, signing off the day's joint-low round of 67 with a birdie at 18, while Angel Yin matched that score to sit one off the pace at eight under, tied with Hyo Joo Kim.

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Ewing, leading by five at 10 under to start the day, fell away with a three-over 75 that contained six bogeys. She's fifth at seven under going into Sunday.

The writing was on the wall for the American as early as the opening hole, her lead immediately shrinking from five strokes to three as she missed a par putt from a few feet soon after Hull had just holed a long birdie putt at the first.

It was one of three bogeys for Ewing in her opening six holes, and though she eventually found some form with back-to-back birdies to start the back nine to again eke out a lead, she faded down the stretch as Hull, Vu and Yin's challenge intensified.

Hull would bogey the par-four second, but further birdies at the eighth and 11th, as well as some superb saves after finding trouble at the sixth, 10th and 13th helped keep the 27-year-old firmly in the mix for a first career major.

Hull's luck ran out at the 14th with bogey, but a superb approach on 15 set up a straightforward tap in for birdie which she followed up with two more at 16 and 17, the latter following a brilliant tee shot on the par-three.

Vu, winner of the first major of the year at the Chevron Championship, catapulted herself into contention with a stretch of five birdies in seven holes around the turn - briefly sharing the lead with Ewing after driving the par-four 10th green, coming incredibly close to a hole-in-one.

Yin, who lost out to Vu in a playoff at Chevron after holding a lead heading down the 18th, was also tied at the top with Ewing after a birdie streak of her own, claiming six over holes nine through 16. Kim too closed the day strong, with a fourth birdie in five at the 17th earning her a share of second.

Who else is in contention?

Amy Yang was the pace-setter among the early starters, returning a five-under 67, containing eight birdies, while world No 1 Nelly Korda threatened to go even better and set a new low mark after going out in 32 before then chipping in for eagle at the par-five 11th to see her to six under for the week.

But Korda's putter deserted her down the stretch, the American telling reporters, "putting, I'd probably give myself a D [grade]" after returning three bogeys, including one at 18 to close out.

Tied with Yang and Korda at four under are Nasa Hataoka, Perrine Delacour and Alison Lee, the latter moving back into contention with four birdies on the back nine.

Jiyai Shin is one better off at five under after a third-round 69 that was flush with birdies - four of them coming in the space of five holes between the sixth and 10th holes. Andrea Lee, part of the final pairing with Ewing, is also five under after failing to improve on her overnight score.

Linn Grant, meanwhile, sits alone in sixth place at six under after an impressive four-under round of 68.

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