Nelly Korda carded a 3-under 68 on Saturday to remain atop the leaderboard after three rounds of action at the LPGA Drive on Championship in Bradenton, Fla.
Korda entered the day with a two-stroke lead before recording three birdies, an eagle and two bogeys at Bradenton Country Club to move to 13-under 200. She now holds a four-shot edge over Megan Khang (66 on Saturday), Japan’s Ayaka Furue (69) and Lydia Ko of New Zealand (69), who are all tied for second at 9-under 204.
It was rough in the early going for Korda, who posted back-to-back bogeys at the par-3 seventh and the par-5 eighth.
But those ended up being Korda’s only blemishes, and she surged late, going eagle-birdie at Nos. 17-18 to close her round.
“I birdied the par-5 (sixth) and then unfortunately snap hooked my next two tee shots, which ended up both of them being bogeys,” Korda said. “And then just had a fresh attitude coming into the back nine. I mean, it’s not how you start it’s how you finish. Hopefully I can lead that into (Sunday).”