San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
STRONG FINISH PUTS KORDA UP BY 4 STROKES
Hometown favorite Nelly Korda shot a 3-under 68 with an eagle-birdie finish Saturday to take a four-shot lead into the final round of the LPGA Drive On Championship in Bradenton, Fla.
Trying to complete a wire-to-wire victory at Bradenton Country Club, Korda rebounded with the late flurry after making consecutive bogeys on Nos. 7 and 8 in 10-15 mph wind with the temperature in the upper 70s.
“I’m actually kind of taken back with how much support I’ve been getting this week,” Korda said. “Being in Florida I always get a lot of support, but hometown, it’s crazy. I was born just in the hospital just down the road from here. It’s been nice seeing friends and family come out ... feeling the support.”
The eight-time LPGA Tour winner was 13 under.
“It’s a confidence boost knowing I can climb up the leaderboard and contend and stay in contention,” Korda said. “Definitely didn’t have the great start today.”
Coming off a victory in the Tournament of Champions, Lydia Ko was tied for second after a 69. Megan Khang (66) and Ayaka Furue (69) also were 9 under.
“It was really windy,” said Ko, a victory short of entering the LPGA Hall of Fame. “It was almost as windy as the peak of the first day.”
Elsewhere
Thorbjorn Olesen will take a four-shot lead into the final day of the Ras Al Khaimah Championship after shooting a 9-under 63 in the third round on Saturday in the United Arab Emirates.
Olesen made 10 birdies to go with a lone bogey on the par-3 seventh hole to surge past fellow Dane Rasmus Hojgaard into a commanding lead on a 22-under total of 194.
Olesen shot a 62 on Friday but felt that Saturday’s round was even better.
“I hit a lot more fairways today, and that gave me the chance to be aggressive with the second shots. It was nice to find so many fairways. It was a great round again,” he said.
Hojgaard shared the overnight lead with Manuel Elvira but settled for a 68 to sit alone in second place, two shots ahead of
Lacroix (66).