ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Nelly Korda is just ahead of a stacked field going into final round of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions — the LPGA's 2022 kickoff event. Four women who have won majors are among the top five players.
Korda, the world's No. 1 and five-time winner in 2021 (including an Olympic gold medal), limited her mistakes on Saturday for a 3-under 69 with four birdies and a bogey, and is 13-under 203 overall. Korda, 23, won the 2021 Gainbridge LPGA on the same course, Lake Nona Golf and Country Club.
Danielle Kang, the runner-up at this tournament a year ago, and Mexico's Gaby Lopez, the 2020 TOC champion, each went bogey-free in matching Korda's 69, and will begin the final round one shot back. Canada's Brooke Henderson and Japan's Yuka Saso matched the day's low score of 68 and will begin Sunday two and three strokes behind Korda, respectively.
Kang, Henderson and Saso all have won major championships.
Korda is seeking her eighth career LPGA title. The more she gets in the hunt, the more poised she appears to be. On Saturday, she played alongside a former No. 1 player, Annika Sorenstam, who won 72 times on the LPGA and leads the celebrity field.