South Korean star Jiyai Shin has a slight edge over Kiwi amateur Lydia Ko going into the final straight of the Women’s Australian Open golf tournament.

Shin has a one stroke advantage after nine holes over 15-year-old Ko in a topsy-turvy battle at Royal Canberra.

Shin is currently 17-under, four shots ahead of a group tied for third including Beatriz Recari from Spain, world no.1 Yani Tseng and Thailand’s Moriya Jutangarn.

Former world No.1 Shin was hot out of the gates in the final round, birdieing the first hole par 5 while overnight co-leader Ko double-bogeyed.

Ko dropped another shot on the second hole as Shin seized a sizeable four-stroke advantage.

But Ko fought back, birdieing consecutive holes while Shin slipped a shot with a bogey on the fifth after running into bunker trouble.

Meanwhile, Taiwan’s Tseng looks in menacing touch and is four-under after 13-holes, shooting up the leaderboard to equal third when she landed an eagle on the 6th.

Queenslander Katherine Hull-Kirk is the leading Australian and is equal eighth at 10-under.