PHOENIX — Kim Hyo-joo handed Nelly Korda and entered the LPGA file books Saturday with an 11-under 61, her second rating of the week. This gave him the bottom 54-hole rating in LPGA historical past and a four-stroke lead within the Ford Championship.
Kim received off to a blistering begin to the again 9 at Whirlwind Golf Membership’s Cattail Course, one-putting seven consecutive greens, together with birdie, birdie, eagle, birdie as she started to drag away.
Even her unhealthy pictures turned out to be good. On the par-4 sixteenth, the 30-year-old South Korean seemed away in disgust as he pulled his strategy, however the ball bounced to the fitting and down the slope to 7 ft for an additional birdie.
She made a two-putt birdie on the seventeenth and parred the 18th for a 25-under 191, breaking the 54-hole file beforehand shared by 4 gamers by one stroke.
“The putter, the irons, the driving force, every part was nice,” Kim stated.
There was little Korda might do. Beginning with a two-stroke lead, she shot a bogey-free 67 and entered the ultimate spherical with a four-stroke lead.
“It was wonderful,” Korda stated. “I imply, taking part in somebody like Hyo-joo immediately, I did not suppose the spherical was going to be that good. She performed unbelievable golf and had a extremely good putt. Total, I am by no means going to complain a couple of five-under spherical with no bogeys. So it was stable.”
Kim is the defending Phoenix champion and is coming off a win within the Founders Cup final week, holding off a late rally from Korda to win by one level. On Sunday, they may play 5 consecutive rounds with the identical group.
“Nellie is my favourite participant. It was nice to play with,” Kim stated.
Kim Byung-hyeon additionally shot a 61 within the opening spherical, when the situations have been excellent for a superb rating within the morning. That spherical was missed as a result of Lydia Ko shot a 60. Ko has since declined in rounds of 71 and 69, whereas the Korean with a clean placing contact has soared.
Kim Byung-hyun hit solely 25 putts within the third spherical. “I imply, it is all the time so fascinating to me to observe somebody make the putts that she does,” Korda stated Friday after taking part in three consecutive rounds with Kim.
Mimi Rose, a 24-year-old LPGA rookie from England, was first to shoot a 63 and was tied for third in a big group that included Ko, Chiji Iwai, Minami Katsu and Ina Yoon. Nevertheless, each have been 9 strokes aside.
Sunday seemed like a two-person race between gamers who’ve already received this 12 months. Korda received the opening spherical, which was shortened to 54 holes as a result of Florida’s frigid chilly and wind, and Kim received at Sharon Heights final week.
For Kim, the prospect is at stake to interrupt the 257-hole 72-hole file set by Sei-young Kim on the 2018 Thornberry Creek LPGA Traditional.
“I feel you’re watching her putt after putt after putt and hit some actually good pictures, however it’s important to remind your self that it’s simply Saturday,” Korda stated. “We nonetheless have 18 holes left.”
