LYTHAM, England -- They both boast beaches, but in all other respects, Rio de Janiero and this stretch of the English coast line have little in common.
Rio has volleyball on the sand; Lytham has donkey rides on it. Rio has a cable car rising up to Sugarloaf Mountain; Lytham has a tram ride to the Winter Gardens. Rio is overlooked by Christ the Redeemer; Lytham by Blackpool Tower.
But there is something about these two locations, separated by 6,000 miles of Atlantic Ocean, which allows certain golfers to thrive.
Back in January 2009, Catriona Matthew won the HSBC Brazil Cup, an unofficial LPGA tournament, while five months pregnant. Seven months later, she claimed the Ricoh Women's British Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, a mere 11 days after picking up the clubs again following the birth of her second daughter, Sophie.
The last winner of the Brazil Cup was Pornanong Phatlum (in 2012), and after 54 holes of action in the fourth major championship of 2018, she is on track to complete the unlikely Rio-Lytham double herself. The Thai golfer leads England's Georgia Hall by one stroke at 13-under 203.
Hall birdied the final hole to confirm her position in Sunday's final two ball alongside the leader, and it is only fitting they complete 36 weekend holes together because their performances have been remarkably similar thus far. Both of them hit the weekend bogey-free, both remained flawless through the turn on Saturday, both finally dropped shots soon afterward (Phatlum at the 12th, Hall at the 13th) and both carded 69 in the third round.
Phatlum is enjoying an astonishing week, one that has ripped to pieces her past record in the major championships.
Only once in 36 starts had she found the top 10. Moreover, her experience of links golf was little short of disastrous, with five missed cuts in six seaside appearances, her only weekend reaping a tie for 27th at Royal Birkdale in 2014.
She made four birdies in the first 11 holes on Saturday to edge two strokes clear of the field, but when her first dropped shot of the week came at the 12th, she followed with six straight pars. Despite her position, she confessed afterward it had been a fretful afternoon.
"I got nervous when I was practicing," she said. "I tried to play my best, and I did play very solid, but I was very nervous. I tried to sing Thai pop songs to myself to relax. I started to do that last week and it helped. I also avoided looking at the scoring."
At day's end, she had no option but to see the big, red leaderboard and become aware that a significant threat to her title hopes looms large.
It was a day of beautiful sunshine, and the morning saw the British crowds hurtle their way not only to the golf course, but also to the beach. Hall's father, her caddie this week, was one of those who took the opportunity for a stroll along the promenade as the 22-year-old Hall enjoyed a hearty breakfast and an hour of television.
Hitting the links so late in the day, however, had implications for her game.
"I don't like waiting around," she admitted. "I couldn't believe how many people were out following us, calling out and cheering my name, but it's a relief the round is over because I played well, yet I was fighting my long game."
Three times on the front nine, she drained par putts from outside 10 feet and then claimed three birdies in the final four holes, all of them acclaimed by galleries desperate for British success.
"That last one was a bonus," Hall said. "It will make dinner taste nicer. I was in a similar position last year [in contention at Kingsbarns], and I think I'll be more relaxed this time. I want to do well for all the hundreds of people supporting me."
Six-time LPGA winner So Yeon Ryu is seeking a third major championship title and has consistently contended in this event, notching five top-20 finishes in six starts.
After a stunning round of 5-under 67, she moved into solo third on 11-under 205, just two back and primed to improve on her tournament-best of tied for third (at Turnberry in 2015) and maybe even claim the victory.
The elegant 28-year-old made two early errors but responded in superb style, ticking four straight birdies from the fifth and adding another three on the back nine. In particular, the Korean's putting was outstanding, not only draining five putts from outside 10 feet for par breakers, but also doing so from 16 feet on the 14th to save par and maintain her momentum.
Her motivation this week is two-fold.
First, there is desire to avenge playoff defeat in last month's KPMG LPGA Championship.
"To be honest," she said, "that really hurt, but I'm not going to let it affect my life. If you keep talking about it, it's really hard to get over it. I had 10 days off, didn't really play golf at all, and then went to see a lot of my family and friends. That encouraged me."
Those close to her reminded Ryu of a second incentive: her love of this event.
"They know the British Open is my favorite," she said. "This is Home of Golf, and we play this tournament on unique and historic golf courses. Before I traveled, I talked to Michael Clayton, who is like my Aussie uncle, and he told me all about Seve [Ballesteros].
"I learned how he completed 13 out of 14 up-and-downs from bunkers. It's really fun to know those kind of facts. That history makes me more thrilled to play here."
The great Spaniard was a two-time Open champion on this course, winning in 1979 and 1988, victories fueled by a creativity few have ever matched. And Ryu is hoping to match that with her coach Cameron McCormick, who also works with Jordan Spieth, last year's Open winner.
"He helped me out at last week's Ladies Scottish Open," Ryu said. "He forced me to play difficult shots around the greens, improving my shot game ideas."
Three golfers are in a share for fourth on 10-under: Japan's Mamiko Higa, Australia's Minjee Lee and Ryu's compatriot Sung Hyun Park.
But the top three are in pole position, hoping that the Rio connection, the home win or major redemption are the story at the end of the day.