Nelly Korda’s Remarkable Performance Amid Unfavorable Conditions

Nelly Korda made headlines after completing a stunning 64 during the third round of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, only for play to be suspended due to high winds. The suspension came after rookie Youmin Hwang’s ball rolled off the exposed 17th green, prompting officials to sound the horn.

Korda described the conditions as extreme, saying, “You could surf on that water today,” referring to the white-capped Lake Nona. Play was officially halted at 4:19 p.m. EST due to unplayable conditions on the par-3 17th hole. Korda, who played seven groups ahead of the final threesome, currently leads the tournament at 13 under par with eight players still to finish the third round.

Overnight leader Lydia Ko, playing in the final group, has three holes left and is five shots behind Korda. The wind was so strong on Saturday afternoon that sand was blowing out of the bunkers, making the course extremely challenging for all players.

Golf Channel’s Grant Boone highlighted Korda’s impressive performance, noting that her 8-under score in the third round bested the field’s scoring average by nine strokes. Korda started the day three shots back and now holds a three-shot lead over Amy Yang, who has two holes remaining to complete her round.

On Sunday, the third round will resume, and the final round will begin concurrently at 10 a.m. Players will tee off in threesomes on Sunday from both the first and 10th holes between 10 a.m. and 11:39 a.m. EST. Those who have already completed Round 3 will be regrouped based on their scores. The six players needing to finish the back nine will play in the last two groups off No. 1, while the two players needing to finish the front nine will tee off in the final group off No. 10.

This means Korda will not be in the last group on Sunday. Celebrities will only play nine holes and will be paired together in the first seven pairings off No. 10.

A Day of Challenges and Triumphs

On Saturday, Korda, 27, birdied the first two holes and then holed out for eagle on the third. She added five more birdies before dropping a shot on the wind-swept 17th. Korda had to step away from a putt several times on the penultimate hole as her ball was oscillating due to the strong gusts.

“Just very proud of myself,” said Korda, “and more the mental side for being really committed to my lines. It is really easy, especially on a golf course like this with so many run-offs, to start doubting yourself.”

After winning seven times in 2024, Korda was shut out last season. A victory at the TOC would give the two-time major winner her first title since November 2024 and her 16th overall. Korda won the 2021 Gainbridge LPGA at Nona for her first LPGA title on U.S. soil.

Lydia Ko, a Nona resident who won this event in 2024, faltered early in the back nine as the winds began to pick up, carding bogey-double bogey on the 12th and 13th holes. She holed out from the bunker for birdie on the 14th, however, to get back to 8 under, tied with Hwang, the KLPGA player who earned membership after winning the Lotte Championship last fall playing on a sponsor invitation.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson carded seven birdies for a 66 to vault up the board into fifth at 7 under, six strokes back. This will be her last week with sister Brittany on the bag for some time as she and husband Zach Sepanik are expecting their first child.

“Honestly this morning, the first four, five holes it was really nice. It was chilly but no winds, very calm. It was quite fun,” said Henderson.

“Then all of a sudden we kind of turned the corner and the wind came howling and it really cooled down. So it was lots of adjusting throughout the day, but overall, feel like we handled it really well. I feel like this is just kind of a warmup into what’s going to happen tomorrow.”

Preparing for Another Challenging Day

Temperatures on Sunday are forecasted to dip into the mid-20s on Sunday and aren’t expected to rise above freezing until 11 a.m. EST. Like many players, Korda will be stocking up on hand warmers in preparation for another brutal day, noting that she has bad circulation in her hands.

“The first thing that goes is my hands are always cold no matter what, so keeping them warm I’ve noticed has been really big key,” said Korda. “It’s just so important over putts and shots.”

When Korda came in to talk to the media after her round, the weight of her performance hadn’t really hit her, especially given that the last few holes felt like survival mode.

“I will tell you like I’m not even aware that I’m 9 under through 15. Like I’m just so focused,” said Korda. “I’m so diligent from when I do my scorecard that I put the score in right after the hole. There was three or four holes where I wasn’t even doing it, so I wasn’t even really aware of my score throughout the day.

“As I said, I’m just proud of my commitment to every shot today.”

Former Yankees outfield Aaron Hicks leads the celebrity division by one point over tennis pro Mardy Fish and two points ahead of famed MLB pitcher John Smoltz, both former champions.