NORTH LAS VEGAS, Nev. — Nelly Korda saved her hopes alive for a fourth consecutive LPGA Tour victory by capturing a 3-under 69 on Friday for a three-day whole of 1-under par within the T-Cell Match Play, placing her into the quarterfinals for the beginning of match play.
The highest-ranked Korda, the sixth seed after three days of stroke play, will face third-seeded Angel Yin on Saturday morning.
Leona Maguire captured the highest seed with a 69 for a 6-under whole. She is going to meet Moriya Jutanugarn, who gained a four-way playoff for the ultimate spot. No. 2 Minami Katsu will face No. 7 Narin An and No. 4 Rose Zhang will meet No. 5 Sei Younger Kim.
The semifinals are Saturday afternoon, whereas the ultimate is Sunday.
Of the ultimate eight, 5 are ranked within the prime 40. That features 2020 LPGA Tour Participant in Kim and 20-year-old phenom in Zhang, enjoying in her adopted hometown as she tries to win her second profession title.
“I like match play,” stated Zhang, who gained two nationwide championships at Stanford. “You get to play on like Solheim Cups, junior groups, newbie occasions, however you do not actually get to see that lots out right here. I am actually excited to return into that. It’s going to remind me of faculty days, simply grinding it out in opposition to an opponent.”
The quarterfinalists overcame 1½ days of dismal climate and a difficult Shadow Creek course that punishes errant photographs. The reduce line to make the match play portion was 2 over.
“We thought that possibly 1 over to 2 over would get in, so wasn’t targeted an excessive amount of on a rating with the robust situations,” Korda stated. “This golf course is already laborious sufficient with none wind, with out it dropping in temperature as properly.”
Korda stated, nonetheless, she favored enjoying in iffy situations as a result of it brings out her artistic aspect. And the climate labored to her benefit in different methods as properly.
After capturing 73 in every of the primary two rounds, excessive wind Thursday afternoon introduced the sector again to her. Korda performed within the morning that day when the climate situations have been a lot calmer, and nobody with a day tee time broke par.
The climate worsened Friday. Along with wind gusts of 30 mph, rain hit the course within the afternoon and the excessive was 59 levels, a 19-degree drop from yesterday’s prime temperature.
Korda is trying to turn into the primary participant to win 4 in a row since Lorena Ochoa in 2008.
She had 4 birdies on the entrance 9, together with three straight earlier than making the flip. Korda performed the again aspect at 1 over.
Maguire started the day fifth, however moved to the highest together with her second 69 in a row, together with birdies on her last two holes. She additionally performed properly on this occasion final yr when it was utterly match play and did not embrace stroke play, ending third.
“I like this golf course,” Maguire stated. “I feel it is among the finest, if not one of the best, golf course we play all yr. It is an unbelievable check. It is actually a serious championship golf course. You get punished for those who hit dangerous photographs and get rewarded for those who hit good photographs, and that is precisely how golf must be.”
4 gamers competed for the ultimate spot in a sudden-death playoff that started on the tenth gap. Hae Ran Ryu was eradicated on the primary additional gap, and Jutanugarn knocked out Brooke Henderson and Yuka Saso on the twelfth gap with an 18-foot birdie putt.
