Nelly Korda Eagle Extends Lead at Riviera Maya Open

World No. 1 Nelly Korda entered Mayakoba aiming for back-to-back victories and a historic start. She has finished no worse than runner-up in each of her first six events, a streak unmatched since Annika Sörenstam in 2001. She has also been in the final group in each of those six events. A win would be her third of 2024, bring her career total to 18, and potentially set a record for the best season opening.

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Korda posted a 5-under-par 67, moving to 14-under-par 202. After a bunker on the par-4 ninth and a 9-iron on the wind-swept par-3 15th that landed within two feet, she hit a 3-wood for birdie on the par-5 13th. An 8-iron on the 18th landed 18 inches from the pin for an eagle, giving her a three-stroke lead. Her only tournament bogey came on Thursday’s 11th hole, making Saturday her second consecutive bogey-free round.

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Arpichaya Yubol shot a low 66, three strokes behind Korda, and celebrated her 24th birthday. Minami Katsu posted 69, four back.

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Korda explained she took Monday off to relax but returned focused, emphasizing she was not on vacation. She said her strategy is to avoid high-risk holes, acknowledging that occasional bad shots happen but the goal is to stay clear of trouble-prone areas. Yubol expressed excitement at playing with her idol, saying the experience felt like a dream come true and left her feeling fulfilled.

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• “Even though I'm coming off a major win, I took Monday off to relax. From there, I'm here to work. I'm not on vacation,” — Nelly Korda, World No. 1, LPGA

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• “You're going to hit a bad shot here and there and you're going to find yourself in trouble, but trying to stay away from the holes that kind of lead to you trouble is the goal.” — Nelly Korda, World No. 1, LPGA

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• “Nelly Korda, Lydia Ko, they both kind of like my idol because they play very good. And if I have to play with her tomorrow it's just like my dream is come true. So my life is complete right now.” — Arpichaya Yubol, Thailand, LPGA

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• “She's young, but at the end of the day I'm just focused on myself, trying to get the job done and see how that day goes,” — Nelly Korda, World No. 1, LPGA

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The final round is Sunday. Yubol will play on her birthday, while Korda aims for a third win and a possible record-setting season start.

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