MIAMI:
Nelly Korda overcame brutal situations to fireside an eight-under par 64 and seize a three-stroke lead in Saturday’s weather-halted third spherical of the season-opening LPGA Event of Champions.
Korda made seven birdies, an eagle and just one bogey in chilly and windy situations to complete 54 holes on 13-under 203 at Lake Nona Nation Membership in Orlando, Florida.
“It may throw all the pieces at you, everyone seems to be in the identical boat and you actually must dial in in your targets,” Korda mentioned.
The 27-year-old American has not gained since taking the LPGA Annika occasion in November 2024, the final of her seven 2024 LPGA victories. She had 9 top-10 efforts and not using a victory in 2025.
Winds started to blow putts off the inexperienced on the par-three seventeenth gap and play was halted for the day with six contenders nonetheless on the course.
South Korea’s Amy Yang was second on 10-under after birdies at 13, 15 and 16 to face three-under on the spherical with two t play.
Wind blew an 18-foot putt by South Korean Hwang You-min off the inexperienced on the seventeenth simply earlier than the horn halted play along with her sharing third on eight-under alongside New Zealand’s Lydia Ko.
Co-leader after 36 holes, Ko made bogey on the twelfth and double bogey on the par-three thirteenth to stumble again earlier than holing out from a bunker to birdie 14.
Tokyo Olympic champion Korda, a two-time main winner, and her rivals battled winds of 25 mph with even increased gusts.
“Simply actually narrowed in on my targets, was hitting these low bullets into the wind,” Korda mentioned, calling the temperature drop her greatest problem.
“It began dropping already on quantity three,” Korda mentioned. “I had on a pair layers however you’ll be able to’t pack on too many taking part in golf simply since you actually wish to swing.”
Korda, who teed off 90 minutes earlier than the leaders and three strokes adrift, adopted back-to-back birdies with an eagle on the third gap.
“I began off actually nice,” Korda mentioned. “Holed out for eagle on the third so beginning like that it is all the time a bonus.”
She closed the entrance 9 with back-to-back birdies and added birdies at 12, 14 and the par-five fifteenth earlier than a bogey on the wind-battered seventeenth.
“And 15 to the top I knew was going to be robust it doesn’t matter what time of day you play them,” Korda mentioned. “I used to be simply comfortable to get these over with.”
Canada’s Brooke Henderson shot 66 to face fifth on 209.
