THE WOODLANDS, Texas – There’s a portable heater on the dais now at the 2024 Chevron Championship, hidden behind a vase of flowers, and Nelly Korda was grateful for the warmth.
After a storm system rolled through The Woodlands on Saturday, suspending Round 3 and dropping 1.52 inches of rain, temperatures plummeted into the low 50s, and the wind kicked up for the resumption of play. It was an early wakeup call for the 7 a.m. local start time on Sunday, and everyone on the leaderboard grinded down a demanding final stretch at the Club at Carlton Woods.
Korda, who looks to become only the third player in LPGA history to win five consecutive starts, trails by one going into the final round, with her 12:36 p.m. ET tee time coming roughly two hours after she completed her third. Hae Ran Ryu, last year’s Louise Suggs Rolex LPGA Rookie of the Year, holds the lead at 11 under after making birdie on three of her last six holes on Ssaturday to shoot 67. Ryu began Sunday morning in a share of fifth.
Korda, meanwhile, held on with a long string of pars to card a 69 and sit tied at 10 under with Brooke Henderson. While Korda had seven holes left to play this morning, Henderson needed only to finish the par-5 18th. Henderson parred the last to shoot a course-record 64 and put herself in the mix for a third career major title.
“So different, oh, my gosh,” said Korda. “The first three days we were sweating so much, and today I was freezing out there. Pars went a long way. Made some good up-and-downs. Overall played pretty well. The golf course is just playing so different right now. It’s quite tough in this weather.
“The wind is out of a complete different direction, too, so the holes that I would probably hit 3-wood on or maybe take advantage of, I had 6-irons in instead of short irons. Completely different.”
A trio of players are tied for fourth at 8 under, including Maja Stark, Jin Hee Im and Atthaya Thitikul, who began the morning with the solo lead at 11 under. Thitikul bogeyed the three toughest holes in the third round – Nos. 14-16 – to card an even-par 72. Last year’s Vare Trophy winner injured her thumb after the LPGA season and was forced to take several months off from competition. The Chevron marks her first start to the season.
Annika Sorenstam (2004-05) and Nancy Lopez (1978) are the only two players in LPGA history to win five consecutive starts. Korda’s in prime position to make it an elite trio.
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