MEXICO CITY — World No 1 Nelly Korda cruised into a three-stroke lead at the LPGA Riviera Maya Open, scoring 67 in another flawless round.
Showing no signs of fatigue after last week’s triumph at the Chevron Championship, Korda has gone 43 holes since her sole opening-round bogey at Mexico’s El Camaleon Golf Course, AFP reported.
And the 27-year-old American rarely even came close to dropping a shot in a serene third round, which finished with a tap-in eagle for a healthy lead going into the final day.
She stands at 14-under 202, followed by Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol on 11-under, and Japan’s Minami Katsu a further stroke back.
Korda said she “would be lying to you if I said that my energy levels were 100 per cent” after her major win last week, but insisted she was in Playa del Carmen “to work, not on vacation.”
“I think just mentally, just staying in it has been the most important part for this week,” she said.
A surging Arpichaya finished her best-of-the-day, bogey-free round of 66 with birdie-birdie, to keep the gap at three.
Katsu sank a rare eagle on 17 to get herself right back in the tournament, on 10-under.
The Japanese player had experienced an up-and-down day – two-over for the front nine, before birdies on three of her next four holes.
Korda had begun the day tied on nine-under 136 with fellow American Brianna Do, who was chasing her first LPGA tour title.
Korda enjoyed a calm, risk-free front nine, her eight pars punctuated only by a birdie on the par-five fifth.
She made a superb save with a long curling putt on nine to retain her solo lead over Arpichaya and China’s Liu Yu.
But three-time major winner Korda turned up the tempo down the stretch.
On the par-five 13th, her long eagle effort just failed to drop. She settled for birdie, and a dart into the green on the par-three 14th meant a tap in for another.
She struck a perfect driver followed by an aggressive iron on the low-scoring par-five 18th, to finish with a tap-in eagle.
Her only mistake of the day came when she twice tried and failed to retrieve the ball from the cup at the final green, laughing at her fumble.
Overnight co-leader Do had a more turbulent day. She had bogeys on the first and fourth, before pulling back birdies on six and nine to briefly move back into joint second.
