“Just three weeks at home with my coach and family and working a lot on physical aspects and I found a love for the game back. I was calm”, Korda said after winning as fellow players poured juice on her to celebrate a flawless day on the hot and humid course. “It’s just who is going to make the most birdies at the end of the week….”
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She’s also winless this season. “Hopefully, I can put another good one together tomorrow”.
The New Zealander, though, tossed in a bogey five at the 13th to give Korda breathing space and the American, daughter of former Australia Open tennis champions Petr, confidently negotiated the tricky water-filled closing stretch.
Jessica Korda leads on 12-under, two clear of United States compatriot Stacy Lewis and Korean Ha Na Jang heading into the final round.
Favourite Park, who poured in a field-high eight birdies on Friday, only managed two birdies against three bogeys to post one-over 72.
Playing alongside Korda, Ko bogeyed the 18th for 68. “All that hit me a little bit”.
Ko and Feng closed with rounds of 66 in good scoring conditions while Lewis, who was Korda’s closest challenger going into the final round, made it round in 67.
Victory would provide world No. 2 Ko with her first career hat-trick, coming off victory at the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open in Vancouver in August and The Evian Championship in France.
Overnight leader Jang Ha-na of South Korea was in a tie for the lead with Korda but a costly double bogey five on the 14th, following a few putting trouble, halted her momentum as she settled for a level par 71 to sit at 10-under.
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Morgan Pressel had a 63, the best round of the week, to get to 6 under. “I definitely wasn’t expecting all my hard work to be paying off this quickly, first week out in the Asia swing, but I’ll take it wherever I can”. The LPGA KEB Hana Bank Championship is next week in South Korea, followed by stops in Taiwan, China and Japan.
