Nelly Korda shot an 8-under 64 to take a three-stroke lead in the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions despite cold and windy conditions. The third round was suspended due to unplayable winds on the 17th hole, leaving several players unfinished. Play resumes Sunday at 10 a.m. ET with split tees.
On Saturday, January 31, 2026, at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando, Florida, Nelly Korda navigated dropping temperatures and escalating winds to post an impressive 8-under-par 64 in the third round of the LPGA's season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. Starting the day three strokes off the lead held by Lydia Ko and Lottie Woad, the world No. 2 from Florida birdied the first two holes, eagled the third, and added birdies at 8, 9, 12, 14, and 15 before a bogey on the wind-battered 17th. Her total stands at 13 under par through 54 holes, three ahead of Amy Yang at 10 under with two holes remaining.
Play was halted at 4:18 p.m. ET when gusts up to 25 mph made the par-3 17th unplayable, with balls oscillating or rolling off the green. Youmin Hwang's putt from 18 feet led to the suspension as her ball rolled past the hole and off the slope. Hwang and Ko, both at 8 under, were among six players still on course. An LPGA official described the conditions as "uber unfair." Brooke Henderson, who shot a 66, sits sixth at 7 under, six back of Korda.
Korda, seeking her first win since November 2024, credited her mental preparation: "[Holes] 15, 16, 17, 18, they’re brutal once you get a little bit exposed. Mentally, I was already preparing for that." She noted her ball was "definitely oscillating" on 17 and called the hole "brutal." Temperatures dipped, prompting her to wear gloves and earmuffs, entering "survival mode" on the final holes.
LPGA officials plan to resume the third round and start the final simultaneously Sunday at 10 a.m. ET from split tees, with no regrouping after round three—meaning Korda won't tee off in the final group. The field will be cut to 60, excluding amateurs. Sunday's forecast includes lows in the mid-20s and highs around 43 degrees, with coverage on Peacock, NBC, and Golf Channel.
Ko, the 2024 champion and a Lake Nona resident, stumbled with a bogey at 12 and double bogey at 13 but birdied 14 from a bunker to reach 8 under through 15 holes. England's Lottie Woad, a halfway co-leader, fell back with five bogeys, including four in five holes, to 5 under through 16.
