Nelly Korda birdies final three holes, shares clubhouse lead at U.S. Women's Open
· Yahoo Sports
What’s on the line Sunday is monumental.
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Back-to-back major titles. A fourth, overall. A shot at the season Grand Slam. The precipice of the LPGA Hall of Fame.
It’s also inconsequential. All Nelly Korda wants to do is win the U.S. Women’s Open.
And she’ll have her best-ever chance. Korda shot her second-consecutive, 4-under 67 Saturday at Riviera Country Club, closing with three-straight birdies. She shares the clubhouse lead at 6 under with Sei Young Kim (68). In Gee Chun and Jennifer Kupcho are at 5 under through 17 holes.
All of the above are majors winners. Korda and Chun have three, Kim and Kupcho one.
Korda finished runner-up at this championship a year ago at Erin Hills. She began the final round three behind eventual winner Maja Stark, and made a valiant run before a late stumble left her two back.
That was part of a winless campaign for Korda, who also lost her status as world No. 1. This year, however, has been different. She won her season debut, finished runner-up in her next three events, won The Chevron Championship, and won the next week in Mexico. (A tie for eighth in her most recent start, three weeks ago in Cincinnati, is her worst finish of the year.)
And, of course, she reclaimed world No. 1.
Korda, who has twice won The Chevron in addition to the KPMG Women’s PGA (two of the tour's five majors), hasn’t been shy about her desire to claim her national championship. But she has as many missed cuts as she does top-10s (three each) in 11 career starts.
While her favorite number is 13, 12 could soon hold a special meaning.
After opening in 2-over 73, Korda made a grip change, strengthening it on the advice of sister Jessica, and shot 67. She began Saturday’s third round three off the lead and promptly birdied two of her first six holes — including a chip-in on the third and an 18-footer on the sixth.
A bogey at the par-4 eighth was her only dropped shot of the day as she made an 8-footer for par on the 13th and a 5-footer for the same on No. 15. Maintaining momentum, Korda finished birdie-birdie-birdie.
She hit her tee shot to 5 feet on the par-3 16th, hit an exquisite chip shot to tap-in range on the par-5 17th, and finished with a iron from 154 yards to 4 feet at the last.
Korda has 15 regular LPGA wins to go with her three major titles. Along with an Olympic gold medal and a Rolex Player of the Year award, she currently has 23 LPGA Hall of Fame points. Twenty-seven are needed for entry, with a major victory worth two points.