Korda takes 2-shot lead at Mizuho Americas Open

Nelly Korda shot a 7-under 65 on Saturday and will take a two-stroke lead over Hannah Green into the final round of the Mizuho Americas Open in a bid to win for the sixth time in the last seven LPGA Tour events.

After watching Rose Zhang snap a five-game winning streak in the Cognizant Founders Cup last week, top-ranked Korda improved with each round, posting a three-round total of 13-under 203 at the picturesque Liberty National at Jersey City. , New Jersey.

Green, whose two wins make her the only other multiple winner on tour this year, took advantage of the calm, dry morning conditions and made a major move, shooting an event-record 63. It was one stroke better than last year’s best round. , the first year of the event.

Korda and Green, who are ranked 1-2 in the Rolex Player of the Year rankings, will be in the final pairing on Sunday on the course that features the New York City skyline, the Hudson River and the Statue of Liberty as a backdrop.

Neither player had a great Saturday, but they combined for 16 birdies. Korda played in the afternoon when the weather turned a little cooler and windier and there was light rain for the last nine holes. She took the lead with a birdie on the 15th, just missed an eagle on the driven 16th and then missed two birdie putts on the final two holes.

She left the class shaking her head.

“The first nine was downwind, it was sunny, it was warm,” Korda said. “As we got closer to the backwater, the wind picked up and it started drizzling. It was the weather we played on the first day, so we made sure you warmed up and took one shot at a time.”

They won’t have to worry about Zhang. The defending champion had to withdraw at the beginning of the first round due to illness. In total, seven players withdrew with various ailments in the first two days.

Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., is tied for 39th at 3 under. Brook Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is tied for 48th at 3 over.

Rookie Gabriela Ruffels of Australia, who finished third last week, was tied for third at 10 under with Japan’s Ayaka Furue, who birdied the final hole.

Jennifer Kupcho, who lost this event last year in a playoff with Zhang, was at 9 under, along with Sophia Popov of Germany and Pajaree Anannarukarn of the Philippines. Kupcho and Popov had 67, one more than Anannarukarn.

There was a large group at 8 under, including first round leader So Mi Lee, the South Korean alternate who entered the event an hour before her tee time.

Third round leader Atthaya Thitikul, who recently returned from a thumb injury, struggled and carded a 74 and was in a group at 7 under, six shots behind Korda.

Green hit 17 greens despite missing a few fairways.

“He actually hit it really close so it was really nice not to have to stress about trying to make pars today,” the 27-year-old said. “But I felt like I was on autopilot for a bit there, which is really nice. So, yeah, now I’m competing hopefully for Sunday.”

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Tom Canavan, Associated Press