Saturday, February 16, 2019

ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open
The Grange Golf Club | Grange, South Australia, Australia | Feb. 14-17, 2019
Third-Round Notes
Feb. 16, 2019
Course Setup: 36-36—72, 6,578 yards (R3 scoring average: 71.621)
Weather: Sunny all day, with temperatures in 70s and 80s
Media Contact: Christina Lance (908-963-1691)
Quick Links:
LEADERBOARD

Player
To Par
Score
1
Nelly Korda
-12
71-66-67
2
Haru Nomura
-9
70-67-70
T3
Jeongeun Lee6
-8
72-69-70
T3
Jodi Ewart Shadoff
-8
65-73-70
T3
Wei-Ling Hsu
-8
65-69-74

NELLY KORDA THREE CLEAR OF FIELD AT ISPS HANDA WOMEN’S AUSTRALIAN OPEN
Under nearly cloudless skies, it was Nelly Korda’s day to shine at the 2019 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open. The 20-year-old from Florida rolled in seven birdies on Saturday, including on four of her closing six holes, and sits at 12-under 204, three strokes clear of Japan’s Haru Nomura.
“I was sticking it on the front nine, (but) couldn't get any of the putts to go in,” said Korda, who could join older sister Jessica Korda as a Women’s Australian Open winner. “I stayed patient and got them rolling on the back nine.”
Nomura, who took the title at The Grange Golf Club in 2016, trails Korda by three shots at 9-under 207. Three players are tied for third at 8-under 208. Jeongeun Lee6 is playing in her first LPGA Tour event as a Member and could join defending Women’s Australian Open champion Jin Young Ko as LPGA rookies to win in their debut events. Lee6 is joined by second by early-round leaders Jodi Ewart Shadoff and Wei-Ling Hsu.
WITH A WIN…
Nelly Korda would earn her second LPGA Tour victory, joining the 2018 Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship
With the $195,000 winner’s check, Korda would move to the top of the 2019 LPGA Money List with $302,336
Korda would become the fourth member of her family to win a sporting event in Australia – father Petr won the 1998 Australian Open tennis tournament, sister Jessica won the 2012 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open and brother Sebastian won the 2018 Australian Open junior tennis tournament
Haru Nomura would earn her fourth LPGA Tour victory, joining the 2016 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, the 2016 Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic presented by CTBC and the 2017 Volunteers of America Texas Shootout presented by JTBC
Nomura would tie Hiromi Kobayashi for the second-most LPGA Tour wins by a Japanese player with four; Ai Miyazato is the winning Japanese LPGA Tour player with nine victories
Nomura would become just the fourth multiple winner of the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, joining Laura Davies (2004, 2009), Yani Tseng (2010, 2011), Karrie Webb (2007, 2008)
KORDA GRAND SLAM UP FOR GRABS
This might finally be the week that Nelly Korda joins an elite club. Three members of her family – father Petr, sister Jessica and brother Sebastian – have all won major sporting events Down Under.
“I think it's the atmosphere here,” said Korda when asked what about Australia seems to suit her family. “Everyone is so friendly, and we all love it down here so much.”
Korda was technically in attendance when her father won the 1992 Australian Open tennis tournament, but she has good reason not to remember her father’s trademark Scissor Kick that has since been replicated by Jessica and Sebastian. Korda’s mother Regina Rajchrtova, an elite tennis player who represented Czechoslovakia at the 1988 Summer Olympics, was pregnant with her when Petr took his Grand Slam title.
LEE6 LOOKING FOR LPGA ROOKIE WIN 2.0
In 1950, Beverly Hanson won the Eastern Open in her LPGA Tour debut. It took 68 years for any player to match that feat, with Jin Young Ko matching Hanson when she won the 2018 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open.
Just one year later, Jeongeun Lee6 has the chance to join that elite group. The 22-year-old from the Republic of Korea, who took medalist honors at the 2018 LPGA Q Series to earn Tour Membership, trails leader Nelly Korda by just four strokes heading into Sunday’s final round.
“My goal for today is like top five,” said Lee6. “I want to go step by step. It's better to win maybe, but it's going to go step by step, will be fine for now.”
The 6 at the end of Lee6’s name is not a typo. She is the sixth player with that name in the history of the Korean LPGA Tour, and all six players were assigned their appropriate numeral to differentiate them. Lee6 is joined on the LPGA Tour by Lee5, Jeong Eun Lee, who is not in this week’s field.
PLAYING EARLY SUITS OLSON
Playing in the first group off at 7:40 a.m., Amy Olson had the round of the day at 6-under 66. The North Dakota native carded an eagle-3 at No. 5 and added four more birdies to her bogey-free round, skyrocketing up the leaderboard from a tie for 60th into a tie for 18th.
“Some days it's your day and some days it isn't,” said Olson, who will tee off at Noon on Sunday, nearly four-and-a-half hours later than she did on Saturday. “You just kind of stay patient. It was really fun making a couple long putts early, and I made some good par saves, like on the 18th, and just keeps the momentum going.”
PLAYER NOTES
Rolex Rankings No. 16 Nelly Korda (71-66-67, -12)
  • This is the fourth time that Korda holds the lead heading into the final round, including during her victory at the 2018 Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship
  • She hit 1114 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens, with 28 putts
  • Korda is in her third LPGA Tour season; she won the 2018 Swinging Skirts Taiwan LPGA Championship and has 13 top-10 finishes
  • Korda is playing in her third ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open; she finished T40 in both 2017 and 2018
Rolex Rankings No. 164 Haru Nomura (70-67-70, -9)
  • This is the second consecutive week that Nomura enters the final round trailing by three strokes, following last week’s ISPS Handa Vic Open, where she ultimately finished tied for fifth
  • She hit 10 of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens, with 29 putts
  • Nomura is in her ninth season on the LPGA Tour; she has wins at the 2016 ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, 2016 Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic presented by CTBC and 2017 Volunteers of America Texas Shootout presented by JTBC
  • Nomura is playing in her seventh ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open; she won the 2016 tournament at The Grange Golf Club and finished T3 in 2017
  • This is Nomura’s second LPGA Tour event since the 2018 CP Women’s Open; she dealt with a back injury for much of the 2018 season
OF NOTE
Defending champion Jin Young Ko is tied for sixth at -7, five strokes behind leader Nelly Korda
Hannah Green is the leading Australian at -6, followed by Sarah Kemp at -5
Jane Park was disqualified following her round for signing an incorrect scorecard
TOURNAMENT SCORING RECORDS
Scoring records since the competition became an official LPGA Tour event in 2012
18 holes: 62, Chella Choi, third round, 2014 (par 72); 63, Lydia Ko, first round, 2012 (par 73)
36 holes: 133, Caroline Hedwall, 2014 (par 72); 131, Mariajo Uribe, 2013 (par 73)
54 holes: 203, Chella Choi, Minjee Lee, 2014 (par 72); 202, Lydia Ko, 2013 (par 73)
72 holes: 272, Haru Nomura, 2016 (par 72); 274, Jiyai Shin, 2013 (par 73)
SOCIAL MEDIA
Tournament: @WomensAusOpen (Twitter and Instagram), #WomensAusOpen
LPGA: @LPGA, @LPGAMedia (Twitter), @lpga_tour (Instagram)
TV TIMES (all times Eastern)
Saturday, Feb. 23 to Sunday, Feb. 24 – 11:30 p.m. to 3:30 a.m., Golf Channel

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