Nelly Korda’s roller-coaster season in the majors took more twists and turns in the third round of the AIG Women’s Open.
The world No. 1 began Saturday on the Old Course at St. Andrews with a three-shot lead and bogeyed her first two holes. She recovered with birdies on Nos. 3, 5 and 9 to regain a three-shot advantage on the back nine.
The inward half, however, was a struggle. Korda dropped shots on the 12th and 13th holes and then hit her tee shot out of bounds on the par-4 16th. Korda made double bogey there to fall two shots back of new solo leader Jiyai Shin.
Korda bogeyed the 17th hole as well to drop three off the pace but birdied the par-4 18th to finish an unsettling, 3-over 75. At 5 under for the championship, Korda is alone in third place, two back of Shin (67) and one behind Lilia Vu (71).
“Yeah, obviously with the double on 16 and bogey on 17, you want to finish on a good note,” Korda said in a brief TV interview. “I was happy to see that one roll in. Hopefully I can take that momentum into tomorrow.”
Korda won the LPGA’s first major of the season, the Chevron Championship, for her fifth consecutive victory on tour.
The early-season domination faded at the U.S. Women’s Open, where she made a 10 on her second hole of the event and missed the cut.
After an opening 69 at the next major, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Korda carded a shocking 81 (one higher than the 80 she posted at Lancaster Country Club) and again had the weekend off.
She tied for 26th at the Amundi Evian Championship and had a chance to medal at the Paris Olympics, but played poorly down the stretch and dropped into a tie for 26th again.
Still, she’s in position for bookend major titles with 18 holes to play on what should be a very trying Sunday at St. Andrews.
“I think it’s going to be a tough day. I think the winds are going to be high. There could be rain, as well. I’m going to keep a positive attitude. Take it one shot at a time,” she said. “I played really well the first two days, so I’m going to take that momentum into tomorrow.”