SAN ANTONIO — Top-ranked Nelly Korda has stayed on course for a fourth consecutive LPGA Tour victory by qualifying for to the semi-finals of the T-Mobile Match Play by defeating fellow American and Solheim Cup teammate Angel Yin.
“This course is brutal, especially in this weather,” Korda said according to AP. “It was so cold this morning. I’m happy to get a couple of rounds under my belt, and hopefully that will help me in my next match.”
Korda qualified for the quarter-finals as Minjee Lee and her fellow Australians missed out.
World No.1 Korda shot a three-under 69 third round at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas, easing into the top eight who advance as sixth seed for the start of match play.
“We thought that maybe 1 over to 2 over would kind of get in,” Korda said, “so wasn’t focused too much on a score with the tough conditions and just taking it shot by shot and just seeing — this golf course is already hard enough without any wind, without it dropping in temperature as well.
Korda shot 73 in each of the first two rounds. She is attempting to be the first LPGA player to win four straight starts since Lorena Ochoa in 2008.
American professional Akshay Bhatia, elsewhere, survived a rocky start in the Valero golf Texas Open by rallying with a pair of late birdies for a 2-under 70 that stretched his lead to five shots.
Bhatia is at 11-under 133 after firing a 63 in the opening round. He’s five shots clear of the field after Denny McCarthy bogeyed the par-5 18th to drop into a tie for second at 6 under with Russell Henley (69) and Brendon Todd (72).
Bhatia, 22, could qualify for his first major if he turns in a strong week. The Texas Open champion will receive the final berth into next week’s Masters, if not already qualified.
Starting on the back nine, Bhatia opened birdie-bogey and picked up another bogey at the par-4 15th hole after three-putting from 62 feet. But a birdie at the par-5 second got him back on the right track.
He followed a 9-foot birdie putt at the par-3 seventh with a stellar save at the par-5 eighth, where he got out of a greenside bunker on his third shot and made a 5-footer for birdie.
Rory McIlroy is alone in fifth at 5 under after a 70 (three birdies, one bogey). The World No. 2 from Northern Ireland is tuning up before Augusta, where he will try to complete the career Grand Slam and end a nearly 10-year major championship drought.
“It was stressful, for sure, wasn´t my best stuff,” Bhatia said according to AP. “I felt like I struggled a lot off the tee, golf swing didn´t feel great with any of the longer stuff, but iron play was still phenomenal, wedges were good, made some nice putts.
“It was good to get the under-par round.”
Rory McIlroy had another steady day of pars and did well enough for a 70 to stay in the mix at 139.
McIlroy, in his final event before he tries again to complete the career Grand Slam at Augusta National, has made three birdies in each of the opening two rounds.
His lone bogey was on the seventh hole, his 16th of the round, when he missed a 5-foot putt. “I could stand here and say I wish I was a few shots better and missed a few putts and whatever, but it was tricky conditions,” McIlroy said.
“Akshay is playing really well, but apart from that, no one´s really lighting the world on fire. Just keep grinding away.
“I’ve only made one bogey over two days, which I´m really pleased with,” he said. “Would have been nice to make a few more birdies, but pretty happy with the last two days.”
Bhatia won the Barracuda Championship last summer, but it was played the same week as the British Open and it did not get him into the Masters. Augusta National is holding one spot for the winner of the Texas Open.
Tommy Fleetwood (69), Webb Simpson (67) and Peter Kuest (71) were among those at 140. Of the top nine players, only Bhatia, Todd, Simpson and Kuest are not already in the field for the Masters.
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