Korda Closes In On Coughlin At Aramco Championship

Lauren Coughlin remains in the lead at the Aramco Championship, but Nelly Korda significantly reduced the deficit on Saturday, now trailing by just two strokes, as the challenging Shadow Creek course proved its reputation for making pars valuable scores. Korda birdied her last two holes to card a 69 and move into second place at five under par. In contrast, Coughlin shot one over par with a 73, and her seven-under tournament score is one of only five under par on the leaderboard. Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Miyu Yamashita are tied at three under par, while Leona Maguire is one under. "Shadow Creek has indeed shown its challenging side over the past couple of days," Korda noted. "It has been playing extremely tough, particularly the back nine." Hyo Joo Kim's chances of extending her LPGA Tour winning streak to three seem slim after she began the round with two bogeys and a double bogey, dropping to a tie for 17th at four over par after a 79. The Aramco Championship, co-sanctioned with the Ladies European Tour, boasts a total purse of $4 million this week, attracting the world's top 20 players. This year is shaping up to resemble Korda's remarkable 2024 season, where she won seven times and was named player of the year. After a frustrating 2025 campaign without a victory, Korda has already secured a win and two second-place finishes in the first three tournaments of 2026. "I'm simply playing very good golf," said world No. 2 Korda. "I have always worked extremely hard, but I'm proud of the effort I've put in over the past few weeks during my break. I feel refreshed and happy, and I'm excited to compete." Last year was a challenging one for Korda, with many near misses. "It was just one of those years where things weren't going my way, even by small margins. That can be mentally draining, which is why I prefer taking longer breaks." Coughlin last won in 2024, claiming victories in Canada and Scotland. She also came close to winning at Shadow Creek last year in a match play event, making it to the final pairing before losing to Madelene Sagstrom. Her strong performance this week demonstrates Coughlin's 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 and holes 11 and 12," Coughlin said. "So, I'm trying to capitalize on those opportunities and just holding on tight on the other holes."