Korda (64-65) easily breaks 36-hole mark
Jessica Korda shot a sixunder 65 on Thursday in the Hugel-Air Premia LA Open to break the tournament 36hole scoring record and increase her lead to three strokes.
A day after matching the Wilshire Country Club tournament record with a 64, Korda opened her bogey-free round with birdies on three of her first four holes — holing a 15-footer to start on the par-four 10th. At 13-under 129, she broke the event mark of eight under set by Moriya Jutanugarn in 2018 in the inaugural tournament.
“It’s going to sound crazy, but I actually lipped out a good amount out there today, so it actually could have been lower,” Korda said. “I don’t complain. I know I made a bogey yesterday, but I made up for it with some birdies.”
Top-ranked Jin Young Ko was second after a 65. Playing in the afternoon, she lost a late stroke with a bogey on the par-four 17th. Fellow South Korean star Sei Young Kim was nine under after a 66, despite a bogey on the par-three 18th.
Zurich Classic
Brice Garnett and Scott Stallings birdied eight of their last 11 holes, Viktor Hovland and Kris Ventura birdied nine of their final 12, and both teams shot 10under 62 in the Zurich Classic to share the first-round lead at Avondale, La.
Ventura made a 36-foot birdie putt from the fringe on 15 and a 19-footer on 16 for his seventh and final birdie of the day in the best-ball format played on the first and third rounds. Players will alternate shots in the second and final rounds.
Seven teams shot 63, including two-time Zurich champion Billy Horschel and his teammate, Louisiana native and former Louisiana State player Sam Burns.