Korda Closes In on Leader Coughlin at Aramco Championship

Lauren Coughlin maintains her lead at the Aramco Championship, but Nelly Korda significantly narrowed the gap on Saturday, bringing the difference to just two strokes, as the challenging Shadow Creek course proved its reputation for favoring pars as good scores. Korda finished strong, birdying her last two holes to achieve a 69 and move into second place at five under par. Meanwhile, Coughlin shot one over with a 73, and her seven-under tournament score is one of the few in red figures on the leaderboard, with Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Miyu Yamashita at three under, and Leona Maguire at one under. According to Korda, "Shadow Creek has indeed shown its true colors over the past couple of days. It's been extremely challenging, especially the back nine." Hyo Joo Kim's chances of extending her LPGA Tour winning streak to three seem slim after a difficult start with two bogeys and a double bogey in the first three holes, dropping her from a tie for second to a tie for 17th at four over after a 79. The Aramco Championship, co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour, boasts a $4m purse this week, attracting the world's top 20 players. Korda's performance this year is reminiscent of her magical 2024 season, where she won seven times and became the player of the year. Following a frustrating campaign last year without a victory, Korda has already secured a win and two second-place finishes in three tournaments this year. "I'm simply playing very good golf," said world No. 2 Korda. "I've always worked extremely hard, but I'm proud of the effort I've put in over the past few weeks when I had time off and didn't travel to Asia with the tour. I feel refreshed and happy, and I'm excited to compete. Last year was unusual, with things not going my way by mere centimeters. That takes a toll, which is why I prefer taking longer breaks." Coughlin last won in 2024, with victories in Canada and Scotland. She also had a strong performance at Shadow Creek last year in a match play event, making it to the final pairing before losing to Madelene Sagstrom. Coughlin's strong showing this week demonstrates her ability to navigate the course better than most of her competitors. "There are a few holes where you can make birdies, like the par fives, 11, 12," Coughlin said. "So, I'm trying to capitalize on those opportunities and just holding on tight on the other holes." The final round of the Aramco Championship will be broadcast live on Sky Sports Golf starting at 11pm on Sunday. Viewers can watch with a Sky Sports subscription or stream without a contract.