NORTH LAS VEGAS (AP) — Nelly Korda almost certainly kept her hopes alive for a fourth consecutive LPGA Tour victory by shooting a 3-under 69 on Friday for a three-day total of 1-under par in the T-Mobile Match Play.
The top-ranked Korda was tied for fifth place with Narin An when she finished her round, and the top eight advance to match play Saturday. The cut line was 2 over when Korda walked off Shadow Creek Golf Course.
It was quite a leap for Korda, who shot 73 in each of the first two rounds, but high wind Thursday afternoon also brought the field back to her. Korda played in the morning that day when the weather conditions were much calmer, and no one with an afternoon tee time broke par.
The weather worsened Friday. In addition to wind gusts of 30 mph, rain hit the course in the afternoon and the high was 59 degrees, a 19-degree drop from the previous day's top temperature.
Korda is attempting to become the first player to win four in a row since Lorena Ochoa in 2008.
She had four birdies on the front nine, including three straight before making the turn. Korda played the back side at 1 over.
This tournament was a match-play-only event its first three years, but changed the format this year. The first three rounds are stroke play to determine the seedings for match play, which is played over the weekend.
The quarterfinals are Friday morning and the semifinals in the afternoon.
