PHOENIX — (*4*) blew previous Nelly Korda and proper into the LPGA record e book Saturday together with her second rating this week of 11-under 61, giving her the bottom 54-hole rating in LPGA historical past and a four-shot lead within the Ford Championship.
Kim had seven consecutive one-putt greens, together with her torrid begin to the again 9 on the Cattail course at Whirlwind Golf Club when she went birdie-birdie-eagle-birdie as she began to drag away.
Even her unhealthy pictures turned out good. On the par-4 sixteenth, the 30-year-old South Korean seemed away in disgust when she pulled her method just for the ball to bounce proper and take the slope right down to 7 ft for yet one more birdie.
She had a two-putt birdie on the seventeenth, and her par on the 18th put her at 25-under 191, breaking by one shot the 54-hole record earlier shared by 4 gamers.
“All round everything was great — putter, iron, driver, everything was as I would want it to go,” Kim mentioned.
There was little Korda might do about it. She began with a two-shot lead, posted a bogey-free 67 and goes into the ultimate spherical trailing by 4 pictures.
“It was great,” Korda mentioned. “I mean, playing with someone like Hyo Joo today, it didn’t feel like that good of a round. She played unbelievable golf, putted really well. Overall, I’m never going to complain about a bogey-free round and 5 under. So it was solid.”
Kim is the defending champion in Phoenix, and he or she is coming off a victory final week within the Founders Cup when she held off a late rally by Korda to win by one. Sunday shall be their fifth consecutive spherical enjoying in the identical group.
“Nelly is my favorite player. It’s been great playing together,” Kim mentioned.
Kim additionally shot a 61 within the opening spherical when morning circumstances have been ripe for good scoring. That spherical was neglected as a result of Lydia Ko shot a 60. Ko has light since then with rounds of 71 and 69, whereas the South Korean with the sleek placing contact has soared.
Kim took solely 25 putts within the third spherical. Korda had mentioned Friday after her third straight spherical enjoying with Kim, “Watching someone putt the way that she does, I mean it’s always so mesmerizing for me.”
Mimi Rhodes, the 24-year-old LPGA rookie from England, posted a 63 and was in a big group tied for third that included Ko, Chizzy Iwai, Minami Katsu and Ina Yoon. But all of them are 9 pictures behind.
Sunday was shaping up as a two-person race between gamers who have already got gained this yr. Korda took the season opener that was reduce to 54 holes due to excessive chilly and wind in Florida, whereas Kim gained final week at Sharon Heights.
At stake for Kim is an opportunity to interrupt the 72-hole record set by Sei Young Kim at 257 within the 2018 Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic.
“You see her make putt over putt over putt and hit really good shots, but you have to really remind yourself that it’s just Saturday,” Korda mentioned. “There is still 18 more holes left.”
