Korda, Ko put on big show
Share lead going into final round
Nelly Korda was watching from the tee box on the par-3 fifth hole as Jin Young Ko rolled in a birdie putt from 10 feet, the fourth of seventh consecutive birdies for the South Korean star.
Moments later, Korda holed a 45-foot chip for birdie.
It was like that all day at the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Fla. It has been like that all year.
Now their race to be No. 1 on the LPGA Tour goes all the way to the final round of the season.
Ko rode her stretch of seven consecutive birdies to a 6-under 66. Korda answered by overpowering the par 5s on the back nine at Tiburon for a 67. They were part of a four-way tie for the lead Saturday going into the final round, with nothing less than $1.5 million and LPGA player of the year on the line.
None of that seems to faze Korda, a 23-year-old American with an elegant swing who is ruthless when it comes to competing.
“It’s for other people,” Korda said of how the stage is set for the LPGA finale. “I’m just out there to do my job, taking a shot at a time, and see where it takes me.
That’s all you can do.”
They were tied with Celine Boutier of France, who started with a four-shot lead and wasn’t hurt by her 72, and Nasa Hataoka of Japan who had the low round of a wind-blown Saturday at 64.
They were at 14-under 202, setting up a final day bursting with possibilities.
McIlroy on rocks
Rory McIlroy was on the rocks late in his third round at the DP World Tour Championship in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
Some cliff-edge improvisation, followed by a finalhole birdie, put him back in control.
Seeking a second consecutive victory to end his season, McIlroy delivered another wild finish at Jumeirah Golf Estates in shooting a 5-under 67 that left the four
-time major champion with a one-stroke lead.
Sam Horsfield bogeyed the 18th hole to shoot 69 and drop out of a share of the lead with McIlroy, who was 14-under overall in the season-closing event on the European Tour.
Collin Morikawa, still on course to become the first American to finish a season as the tour’s No. 1 player, was three shots back in a four-way share of fifth place after his round of 69.
Gooch still in control
Talor Gooch is playing some of his best golf in the toughest weather, even when he hasn’t been in the best position off the tee. Now the former Oklahoma State player is one round away from his first PGA Tour victory at the RSM Classic in St. Simons Island, Ga.
Gooch hit only six fairways Saturday at Sea Island and still managed a 3-under 67,stretching his lead to three shots going into the final round.
“Any day like that is going to be a grind on the tour,” Gooch said. “To be frank, what you’re trying to do out there is avoid bogeys. It would have been easy today at times to just really get conservative and really be defensive. I was pleased I was able tostay aggressive at times.”
He was at 16-under 196, three shots clear of Seamus Power of Ireland (67) and Sebastian Munoz of Colombia (69). Both have won on the PGA Tour. Power won the Barbasol Championship this summer the same week as the British Open, so it didn’t not come with an invitation tothe Masters. A victory Sundaywill.