After a winless 2025, Nelly Korda has opened 2026 with a win and consistent finishes, carrying that form into the Aramco Championship.

The 16-time LPGA Tour winner carded a 3-under 69 in the third round to move to 5-under overall, placing her two shots behind Lauren Coughlin heading into the final round.

"It's very different. In match play, you can be aggressive and, okay, well, if this doesn't work out, you lose the hole. Now, so you're playing stroke play, and bogey, double, triple, they all come into play.” Korda said during a press conference at Shadow Creek on Saturday.

Nelly Korda has adjusted, not abandoned, her natural style at the Aramco Championship.

Korda is now in position heading into the final round.

The week began with a three-way tie at 5-under, but the gap opened in Round 2 when Lauren Coughlin took control. Since then, Korda has worked her way into the chase.

At 5-under, she is now two shots off the lead.

She has done this before, coming from behind to win the 2021 KPMG Women's PGA Championship with a final-round 68 and producing a similar charge at the 2019 Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA.

While Miyu Yamashita and Nasa Hataoka remain in the mix, the focus turns to Korda as the final round begins.

The challenge now comes from the nature of Shadow Creek Golf Course, a course designed by Tom Fazio and opened in 1990. The wind is in play, so the approach has shifted, with more focus on where the ball lands.

Nelly Korda Adjusts Her Approach at Shadow Creek as Conditions Shift Control Over Power

“So it's very different. It's a very hard golf course, and I think with the wind the past couple of days, it hasn't really helped us. In fact, it's so firm, too, so it's very hard to stop golf balls. You're almost just playing for a run-up. So there is no real advantage to being a longer hitter, maybe. It's all just about placement here,” said the 27-year-old.

Korda is playing safer lines and leaving approaches short to manage rollout, cutting down mistakes but giving up some birdie looks.

Can Nelly Korda close the gap at Shadow Creek, or will aggression cost her the title?

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Written by

Aditi Singh

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav