Nelly Korda is pulling away from the pack as she leads the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Florida. The American star carded an impressive eight-under 64 on Saturday to catapult herself three strokes clear of the leaderboard, including England's Lottie Woad and Olympic gold medallist Lydia Ko.
Korda's stellar round saw her rack up seven birdies and an eagle, although she did suffer a sole blemish at 17. Despite being forced into "survival mode" by the blustery conditions, Korda demonstrated her mental toughness as she navigated the treacherous layout. The 27-year-old's performance has been a testament to her growing maturity on the course.
On the other hand, Woad's hopes of claiming victory are rapidly slipping away. The young Englishwoman suffered a dismal run of bogeys in five holes on the front nine and was unable to recover from the setback. Despite starting strongly with an opening birdie, she shot three over through 16 holes, leaving her eight shots adrift of Korda.
Woad's struggles are not entirely surprising, given her recent form has been somewhat inconsistent. The 22-year-old secured two Ladies European Tour titles last July, but since then, her performance has been patchy. Ko, on the other hand, remains a threat to Korda's title bid and is currently sitting five shots behind the leader.
The final round promises to be an exciting conclusion to this event. With three holes remaining in Ko's third round, she still has a chance to mount a comeback. However, it will be a tall order for her to close the gap with Korda holding a significant lead. As for Woad, it's a case of damage control and trying to salvage what's left of her tournament.
Korda's stellar round saw her rack up seven birdies and an eagle, although she did suffer a sole blemish at 17. Despite being forced into "survival mode" by the blustery conditions, Korda demonstrated her mental toughness as she navigated the treacherous layout. The 27-year-old's performance has been a testament to her growing maturity on the course.
On the other hand, Woad's hopes of claiming victory are rapidly slipping away. The young Englishwoman suffered a dismal run of bogeys in five holes on the front nine and was unable to recover from the setback. Despite starting strongly with an opening birdie, she shot three over through 16 holes, leaving her eight shots adrift of Korda.
Woad's struggles are not entirely surprising, given her recent form has been somewhat inconsistent. The 22-year-old secured two Ladies European Tour titles last July, but since then, her performance has been patchy. Ko, on the other hand, remains a threat to Korda's title bid and is currently sitting five shots behind the leader.
The final round promises to be an exciting conclusion to this event. With three holes remaining in Ko's third round, she still has a chance to mount a comeback. However, it will be a tall order for her to close the gap with Korda holding a significant lead. As for Woad, it's a case of damage control and trying to salvage what's left of her tournament.