Miami (AFP) – Nelly Korda overcame brutal conditions to fire an eight-under par 64 and grab a three-stroke lead in Saturday’s weather-halted third round of the season-opening LPGA Tournament of Champions. Korda made seven birdies, an eagle, and only one bogey in cold and windy conditions to finish 54 holes on 13-under 203 at Lake Nona Country Club in Orlando, Florida.
“It’s going to throw everything at you, everyone is in the same boat and you really have to dial in on your targets,” Korda said. The 27-year-old American has not won since taking the LPGA Annika event in November 2024, the last of her seven 2024 LPGA victories. She had nine top-10 efforts without a victory in 2025.
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Winds began to blow putts off the green at the par-three 17th hole, and play was halted for the day with six contenders still on the course. South Korea’s Amy Yang was second on 10-under after birdies at 13, 15, and 16 to stand three-under on the round with two to play. Wind blew an 18-foot putt by South Korean Hwang You-min off the green at the 17th just before the horn halted play, with her sharing third on eight-under alongside New Zealand’s Lydia Ko.
Co-leader after 36 holes, Ko made bogey at the 12th and double bogey at the par-three 13th to stumble back before holing out from a bunker to birdie 14. Tokyo Olympic champion Korda, a two-time major winner, and her rivals battled winds of 25 mph with even higher gusts. “Just really narrowed in on my targets, was hitting those low bullets into the wind,” Korda said, calling the temperature drop her biggest challenge. “It started dropping already on number three,” Korda said. “I had on a couple layers but you can’t pack on too many playing golf just because you really want to swing.”
Korda, who teed off 90 minutes before the leaders and three strokes adrift, followed back-to-back birdies with an eagle at the third hole. “I started off really great,” Korda said. “Holed out for eagle on the third so starting like that, it’s always a bonus.” She closed the front nine with back-to-back birdies and added birdies at 12, 14, and the par-five 15th before a bogey at the wind-battered 17th. “And 15 to the end I knew was going to be tough no matter what time of day you play them,” Korda said. “I was just happy to get those over with.”
Canada’s Brooke Henderson shot 66 to stand fifth on 209.
© 2024 AFP
