NELLY KORDA CHIPS IN TWICE TO STAY IN CONTENTION: Nelly Korda (Bradenton, Fla.), 17, started the day in a share of the lead and quickly faded with bogeys on one and five. She made birdie on six to get one stroke back and then made bogey on eight.
Korda caught some good fortune as she chipped in for birdie on holes 12 and 13 then made par the rest of the way to finish with a 72. She chipped in both times with her 58-degree wedge.
“The chip-ins were exciting, but other than that it was an up-and-down day,” admitted Korda. “I definitely scrambled. Other than a few shots, I’m still really happy with how I played.”
Mature beyond her years, Korda said she won’t approach Sunday any different since she is in contention.
“No strategy change, I’m going to keep on playing how I am playing, it is clearly working,” said Korda.
“Everything is coming together and I really like this golf course. My putting was a little off today, but you can’t putt well everyday.”
Korda’s best finish of the season is a T18 at the IOA Championship to start the year.
ERICA POPSON MUCH IMPROVED FROM A YEAR AGO: One year ago, Erica Popson was in second place after the first round of the Four Winds invitational and actually missed the cut after a second-round 8-over, 80. Popson has come a long way since last year.
She is now a Tour winner (Epson Classic) and ranks third on the Volvik Race for the Card money list. On Saturday, she posted a 2-under 70 to back up the exact same score on Friday.
“I feel like I have played a lot of consistent golf over the last two days,” said Popson. “I’m hitting a lot of greens, 17 yesterday and 16 today.”
Popson’s shot of the day came on the third hole when she holed out for birdie from the bunker.
“I hit a driver in the fairway, but got a little too cute with the wedge and it was downwind and it plugged in the bunker,” explained Popson. “I had enough green to work with and I just blasted the ball out and it went in so that was exciting.”
Popson is getting more and more comfortable being in contention, but said you never get fully relaxed. She has three top 10 finishes this season.
“I think I just need to stay within myself tomorrow and play my game,” said Popson. “If I focus on the
leaderboard or how other people are playing than I’m not going to play well.”
Popson, who won eight times in college at Tennessee, went right to the LPGA and didn’t play well in 2014 and has struggled mentally over the last two years.
“My confidence is in a different place, my ball striking is in a different place and mentally I’m in a completely different place,” said Popson. “It is nice to finally see some good things happen.”
Popson has the same caddy, a personal friend that she had during her win at the Epson Classic.
EMMA JANDEL MAKES A HOLE-IN-ONE: Emma Jandel made her fourth career hole-in-one and her first in a Epson Tour tournament. She aced the par-3 12th hole on Saturday and posted a 2-under, 70 to stand at 2-over, 146. Jandel is in a tie for 33rd.
“I had 156 yards to the pin and then there was some breeze in our face so I was between a seven and an eight,” explained Jandel. “I was talking to my boyfriend and told him I’m going to just play the pin and I hit a dead bullet right at the flag and it took one bounce and rolled a foot and went in.”
Jandel’s mom and dad were both in attendance to witness the hole-in-one. Her father has three aces and brother, Sam, has four.
“I caught up in the family race and that is all I care about,” said Jandel with a wide smile. “When I called my brother he said he is going to start playing more to get back ahead of me.”
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