Nelly Korda went to sleep Friday night, perhaps dreaming of an Olympic Gold Medal — she’s still in the lead at the women’s competition at Kasumigaseki Country Club with bad weather looming as the “X-Factor” as to whether there will be another 18 holes.
The American star and world’s No. 1 wasn’t very spectacular during Friday’s third round. No, she didn’t make it look easy the way she did on Thursday as she birdied her way to a 62 and a four-shot lead. Instead of birdies, Korda fought for pars — she had to make par saves to close out her day at 17 and 18 for a two-under par 69 that took her to 15-under par, good enough for a three-shot lead over Aditi Ashok from India.
Storms, perhaps heavy thunder and lightning storms are looming, set to arrive in the area on Saturday. Olympic golf officials are hoping they can find a way to squeeze in 72 holes before the storm turns tropical and ends all hopes of playing a final 18.
Korda admitted she didn’t have her best stuff on day three although she got off to a spectacular start with birdies on three of the first six holes that got her to 16-under par. Korda made just one big mistake during her third round and it came at the par five eighth where she hit a good tee shot but chose to lay up on the 526-yard hole. Her third hit 10 feet short of the hole but she misjudged the spin and the ball wound up 70 feet short of the hole. From there she three-putted for her only bogey of the round. After that, she parred her way to the finish.
“I didn’t have a really good back nine. I was kind of spraying it all over the place. I had some testy par putts,” Korda said. “But made all pars and I fought really hard to stay in it really, or ahead of it.” Asked what was best about her day, she replied: “Probably my fight.”
She battled as did Ashok, who is the shortest hitter in the field but perhaps the best putter. The 23-year-old from India who plays on the LPGA Tour with Korda, is the field leader in determination and her 68 put her at 12-under, three back of Korda and looming as the Silver Medal winner if the final round gets wiped out by those anticipated tropical storms.
Things are really packed behind Korda and Ashok. Mone Inami of Japan, who hit the opening tee shot for the tournament on Wednesday, missed a seven-footer for par at the 18th and signed for a 68 on Friday and was in at 10-under par. If there’s no fourth round, officials will have to find some way for Inami and three others to play-off for the Bronze Medal. Hannah Green from Australia (67), Emily Kristine Pedersen from Denmark (70) and the 2016 Silver Medalist, New Zealand’s Lykia Ko (66) — are tied with Inami.
There’s no doubt the uncertainty is weighing on all the players. Korda will either win the Gold without having to fight for it or head out in wet, rainy conditions to try and make it two Golds for the United States in golf — following Xander Schauffele to the top position on the medal podium.
Korda’s lead was five shots with four holes to play but Ashok struck with her putter down the stretch. She holed an 18-footer for birdie at the 15th to close the gap to four then cut it to three with a 15-foot birdie putt at the par four 17th.
Now everyone is a weather radar watcher.
This one’s in Mother Nature’s hands — golf or no golf?
It’s simply sit and wait.
Women’s Olympic Golf Scoreboard:
Saturday (In Japan) Final Round Tee Times (All are EDT) Friday Evening in US:
Hole No. 1:
5:30 PM: Daneiel Darquea (ECU), Bianca Pagdanganan (PHI), Carlotta Ciganda, (ESP)
5:42 PM: Inbee Park (KOR), Klara Spilkova (CZE), Min Lee (TPE)
5:54 PM: Perrine Delacour (FRA), Yuka Saso (PHI), Wei-Ling Hsu (TPE)
6:06 PM: Hyo-Joo Kim (KOR), Caroline Masson (GER), Anna Nordqvist (SWE)
6:18 PM: Albane Valenzuela (SUI), Sanna Nuutinen (FIN), Leona Maguire (IRL)
6:30 PM: Sei Young Kim (KOR), Jin Young Ko (KOR), Xiyu Lin (CHN)
6:42 PM: Matilda Castren (FIN), Shanshan Feng (CHN), Stephanie Meadow (IRL)
6:54 PM: Nasa Hataoka (JPN), Madelene Sagstrom (SWE), Nanna Koerstz Madsen (DEN)
7:06 PM: Hannah Green (AUS), EK Pedersen (DEN), Mone Inami (JPN)
7:18PM: Nelly Korda (USA), Aditi Ashok (IND), Lydia Ko (NZL)
Hole No. 10:
5:35PM: Patty Tavatanakit (THA), Maria Fassi (MEX), Jessica Korda (USA)
5:47PM: Jodi Ewart Shadoff (GBR), Manon de Roey (BEL), Minjee Lee (AUS)
5:59PM: Gaby Lopez (MEX), Lexi Thompson (USA), Danielle Kang (USA)
6:11PM: Celine Boutier (FRA),Brooke Henderson (CAN), Sophia Popov (GER)
6:23PM: Ariya Jutanugarn (THA), Alena Sharp (CAN), Pia Babnik (SLO)
6:35PM: Giulia Molinaro (ITA), Maha Haddioui (MAR), Kim Metraux (SUI)
6:47PM: Azahara Munoz (ESP), Kelly Tan (MAS), Diksha Dagar (IND)
6:59PM: Mariajo Uribe (COL), Maria Torres (PUR), Tiffany Chan (HKG)
7:11PM: Anne van Dam (NED), Christine Wolf (AUT), Magdelna Simmermacher (ARG)
7:23PM: Mel Reid (GBR), Lucrezia Colombotto Rosso (ITA), Tonje Daffinrud (NOR)
All tee times are subject to weather.
