Moving Day Momentum

Nelly Korda finds herself in a familiar position after Saturday’s third round at the JM Eagle LA Championship – within striking distance of the lead and poised for a Sunday charge.

The world No. 1 posted her second 5-under 67 of the week at El Caballero Country Club, leaving her just three shots behind the co-leaders heading into the final round. Despite an up-and-down day, Korda’s firepower was on full display as she looks to capture her first victory of the 2025 season.

The Leaderboard

Lauren Coughlin, coming off a runner-up finish at the T-Mobile Match Play, shares the 54-hole lead with LPGA rookie Ingrid Lindblad and Akie Iwai at 13-under par. Coughlin is seeking her third LPGA Tour title after a breakthrough two-win season in 2024.

Korda’s Rollercoaster Round

Korda’s Saturday began with a back-and-forth stretch of birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey before finding her rhythm around the turn. She caught fire with four birdies in a six-hole stretch, including three consecutive circles on the card at holes 10, 11, and 12.

The highlight of her round came at the par-5 16th, where Korda showcased her aggressive style by bombing a drive and then sticking a 9-iron approach to just nine feet. She converted the eagle putt to climb within two of the lead.

“I hit a really good drive and had just a 9-iron in hand,” Korda explained. “It was a pretty 98-percenter and just took an aggressive route. When I play my best, I’m an aggressive player. I was feeling good with my irons and took a straight line at the pin.”

A three-putt bogey on her closing hole was an unfortunate finish to an otherwise solid day, but Korda remains firmly in contention.

Room for Improvement

Despite her position on the leaderboard, Korda acknowledged some inconsistency in her game, particularly off the tee. She’s hitting only 62 percent of her fairways this week, well below her season-long average as the tour leader in strokes gained off the tee.

“Going to see if I can get that dialed in,” Korda said about her driver, which she noted was trending right on some holes. “It’s definitely a little demanding off the tee here with a lot of the bunkers and trees. Once I’m in position, I feel pretty confident with my iron shots.”

The stats back up her assessment – Korda has hit an impressive 87 percent of greens in regulation through three rounds, exceeding her season-long average.

“At the end of the day,” she added, “you have got to hole the putts.”

Championship Sunday Mindset

After dominating the LPGA Tour in 2024 en route to Rolex Player of the Year honors, Korda knows a thing or two about Sunday comebacks. Last season, she rallied with five birdies on the back nine to win The ANNIKA drive by Gainbridge at Pelican and also came from behind to capture the FIR HILLS SERI PAK Championship.

Korda’s approach to the final round will be straightforward.

“Try to take it a shot at a time. It’s a fresh, new day,” Korda said. “Whatever happened the other day, that’s behind me. You can’t really do anything about it, so why contemplate about it? Just go and try to make birdies and create opportunities.”

With slightly warmer conditions expected for Sunday, Korda’s power and precision could prove to be the difference as she hunts for her first victory of 2025.