On a day when she nearly made an ace and won a car, Kirsten Rudgeley’s game went slightly cold leaving the West Australian with some work to do on Sunday if she is to challenge English leader Mimi Rhodes for the Ford Women’s NSW Open title.

Sitting on 12-under and threeshots back of Rhodes’ 15-undertournament total, with Italian Alessandra Fanali in second alone on 14-under, it was a steady if not spectacular day for Rudgeley.

The West Australian now sitting in tied thirdon what is a veritable United Nations leaderboard at the Ladies European Tour and WPGA Tour of Australasia co-sanctioned event at Wollongong Golf Club.

The stronger winds Rudgeley was again begging for on the first tee did arrive, and in a new direction for the week, but after her “little punch 5-iron”just missed finding the hole at the long par-3 third, highlights were hard to come by during a third round 3-under 68.

“I mean, I didn't play very well at all today, but I mean, I've still got the golf ball around the golf course and a decent, reasonable score,” Rudgeley said.

“The wind was a little bit trickier today … But I'm in a good position and we'll see what tomorrow brings.

“I didn’t putt as well, but then again I holed a few good putts that are safe pars. I mean happy medium I guess. We'll do a little bit of practise now actually, and then we'll get back out tomorrow,” she added, noting it would be her first post round practice of the week.

Despite the distance back of the leader, and number of players sandwiched between her and top spot, Rudgeley will no doubt still like her chances with a lack of tournament victories a common theme on the leaderboard.

Rhodes is a rookie on the LET this year and has a previous best of tied 33rd, although she looked unflappable on Saturday during her bogey-free round of 68,which could have been better if her flatstick had behaved.

“It was a really solid day. It was really windy at the start, and I just knew that on the tough holes, I had to place the ball really nicely on the green to have chance at birdies and just hope that the putts dropped,” Rhodes, who started her day with eight straight pars after a second round 62, said.

“I was still playing as aggressive as I was yesterday. The putts just didn't drop, and I honestly just stayed calm still.”

Putting pressure on Rhodes during the third round, Fanali set a personal best on the LET with her bogey-free 64, with the 25-year-old another whose day could have been even better than her seven birdies if putts had dropped.

Fanali missing a makeable eagle try at the par-5 13th and almost holed her pitch for eagle at the 18th to make a further dent in Rhodes’ lead, before settling for the best round of moving day.

“I'm really happy. It was very solid today. It was a bit windy in the beginning, so I just tried to stay very patient and focus on what I was doing, and it worked out really well,” Fanali said.

“I must say, the putt I had on 13 for Eagle, I thought I could make it and I was just a bit, not pissed, but upset, but it was fine. It was enjoyable today.”

That enjoyable day, which was headed for a swim at the beach like Friday afternoon, has Fanali two in front of Spain’s Nuria Iturrioz and Rudgeley on 12-under, while Sara Kouskova of the Czech Republic, Swede Moa Folke and another Spaniard, Blanca Fernandez, are another shot further back.

Iturrioz, a four-time winner on the LET, perhaps holding an advantage over the rest of the leading contenders, all of whom are yet to record an LET win during their young careers after her late back nine hat-trick of birdies and another at the 18th.

“I think, yeah, the experience always helps, but when you have the week and you are feeling it, it doesn't matter, you are in the zone,” Iturrioz said.

“Of course there is also the rookie luck, so you never know.”

Rhodes certainly hoping to ride that rookie luck when strong crowds will be out again and she plans to keep a closer eye on the leaderboard.

“I tried to laser the leaderboard (walking scorer) in front of me, but it was turning the other way. I wasn't going to ask my caddie to get out his phone,” the leader said with a laugh.

“Tomorrow I'll for sure be asking him to check the leaderboard and see what's going on ahead of me because you don’t know on this golf course, birdies can come.”

The final round of the Ford Women’s NSW Open is live on Fox Sports, available on Foxtel and Kayo.

The Ford Women's NSW Open is proudly supported by the NSW Government’s tourism and major events agency, Destination NSW.