Hotshot Korda takes three-stroke lead after third round

ADELAIDE: Nelly Korda (pic) made up for an early bogey on the back nine with three consecutive birdies and four on her final six holes to shoot a five-under 67 and take a three-stroke lead after three rounds of the LPGA’s Women’s Australian Open.

Korda, tied for third after the second round, had a 54-hole total of 12-under 204 yesterday at The Grange.

Japan’s Haru Nomura had a 70 yesterday and was in second place, with three players tied for third, four strokes behind.

Five-time winner Karrie Webb shot 71 and was eight strokes behind.

Korda could extend her family’s sporting pedigree in Australia with a win today.

Korda’s father Petr is an Australian Open men’s tennis champion, winning the tournament in 1998. Her golfing sister Jessica won the Australian Open seven years ago.

And her tennis playing brother Sebastian won the Australian Open boys’ singles title last year.

“I’m not even going to think about it,” Korda said after yesterday’s round.

“If it happens, great. But there’s still so much golf to be played. I know everyone is going to try and catch up so I’m just going to try and play my game and try to stay consistent.”

Ranked 16 in the world, the 20-year-old Korda headed to Adelaide on the back of a win and two other top three finishes in her last four events.

The victory – her first – came at the Taiwan Championship last October, before a second place at the Tour Championship in Florida.

She started her 2019 campaign in a similar vein, finishing third at the Tournament of Champions last month, also in Florida.

The group at eight-under included England’s Jodi Ewart Shadoff, Taiwan’s Wei-Ling Hsu and South Korean Lee Jeong-eun.

Last year’s champion, South Korea’s Jin Young Ko, was among a group at seven-under, five strokes behind.

Thailand’s world number one Ariya Jutanugarn struggled with a 72, leaving her 13 behind Korda.