Aramco Team Series: Korda produces ‘best round of the year’ to take charge at Centurion Club
- Nelly Korda battles wind and rain to post 4-under 69 to move 5 shots clear at top of leader board
- Georgia Hall chips in for birdie at 17 and then eagles the last to take group to brink of team title
Nelly Korda took a healthy five-shot lead into Sunday’s final round of the individual competition at the Aramco Team Series London after battling wind and rain to produce one of her “best rounds of the year”.
The American star put together a near-flawless round of 69 at Centurion Club on Saturday, to move to nine-under-par for the tournament, with Nicole Garcia on four-under after a second successive round of 71.
A day after her stunning round of 68, Charley Hull struggled in conditions that led to a 90-minute suspension in play and left two groups still out on the course when it became too dark to continue.
It was a bad day all around for Hull, who carded a three-over 76 to drop to two-under and also watched her group come up agonisingly short in the team competition.
Starting the day on 18-under, the Englishwoman’s team spent their round chasing an inspired Georgia Hall, who produced a stunning eagle on the last, after chipping in for birdie at 17, to catapult her side to 24-under.
Hull’s group still had an opportunity to force a play-off, but missed a clear chance for birdie on the last to finish on 23-under. Although two groups have yet to finish their rounds, none can overtake Hall’s team.
Garcia’s side finished two shots further back in third, and the South African can now lead the charge to catch Korda in the final round, which is expected to start around 9.30am local time.
Korda played brilliantly as unrelenting high winds provided the sternest of challenges for the field. The highlight of a peerless performance came at the uphill par-5 15th, where she ripped a 3-wood from 238 yards to seven feet, before rolling home the eagle putt.
She also made three birdies to give herself a great chance of recording her first victory since securing the Pelican Women’s Championship last November.
“It was probably the most brutal weather I’ve played in a really long time. I would say this was one of my best rounds this year,” the 24-year-old said.
“I actually had a lot of fun out there. The weather may have not been too great, but I think when you are playing well in these rounds, you get to use a little bit more creativity and a different type of game. It’s a lot of fun.”
