Yealimi Noh birdied eight of the last 11 holes to grab the lead after Saturday’s third round of the LPGA Tour’s Founders Cup while top-ranked Nelly Korda charged into contention.
Noh, a 23-year-old American chasing her first LPGA victory, opened with seven pars before a sizzling back nine produced an eight-under par 63 to stand on 18-under 195 after 54 holes at Florida’s Bradenton Country Club.
“Just the first few holes they were slow and I was hitting it well but not making many putts,” Noh said. “I guess I just needed a birdie and that one at eight just helped me get going.”
South Korea’s Ko Jin-young, who led by two when the round began, fired a 66 to stand second on 17-under 196 with South Korean Im Jin-hee and American Megan Khang, who fired a course-record 62, sharing a distant third on 13-under 200.
Korda fired a 65 to share fifth on 12-under 201 with Australian Hannah Green.
South Africa’s Paula Reto shot 67 to share 10th position on eight-under 205, with countrywoman Ashleigh Buhai a further stroke behind after carding 68.
Noh began a three-hole birdie run at 8, added another at 12 and birdied four of the last five holes, including a tap-in at 18 after landing her approach within three feet of the hole.
“I really just want to focus on my tempo and my game tomorrow,” Noh said. “I tell myself that every time I’m in this position because you end up thinking about other scores, other people around you.
Three-time Founders Cup winner Ko, a two-time Major winner who birdied two of the last three holes, has a similar attitude.
“She made a lot of birdies and that was good motivation to me,” Ko said. “We had so much fun. Looking forward to tomorrow. I have a good chance. I just want to think about myself and do my best.”
Khang birdied eight of the first 11 holes and broke Ko’s day-old course record with the lowest LPGA round of her career.
“Having a day like this gives myself a little reminder that I’m pretty good at this sport,” Khang said. “Happy I could get it on a Saturday to hopefully give myself a run on Sunday.
“I expect to be chasing tomorrow, but if I can just keep the same mentality … that’s all I can ask for, just try not to get ahead of myself and stay in the moment.”
Khang opened with back-to-back birdies, added another at the 4th then reeled off four in a row to close the front nine and added another at 11. She answered a bogey at the par-three 15th with a birdie at the par-five 17th and sank a short birdie putt at 18.
In all she had 25 putts, reached 16 of 18 greens and found 12 of 14 fairways.
“Coming out with a birdie on the 1st and the 2nd, always a good feeling,” she said. “Everything felt kind of dialled in. Happy that putts were starting to drop and hopefully it continues tomorrow.”
Korda, who won last year here on her hometown course, opened with a birdie and made another at 4, briefly led after a run of five birdies in a row starting at the par-five 8th.
“You just keep firing at pins and choosing your lines and try to narrow your targets down and then you just shoot at them,” Korda said.
Korda made bogeys at the par-three 15th and par-four 16th to fall back but closed with a birdie.
“You’ve just got to battle,” she said.
© Agence France-Presse
