Sawt Falasteen - Noh seizes LPGA Founders Cup lead as Korda, Khang charge

Noh, a 23-year-old American chasing her first LPGA victory, opened with seven pars before a sizzling back nine produced an eight-under par 63 to stand on 18-under 195 after 54 holes at Florida's Bradenton Country Club.

"Just the first few holes they were slow and I was hitting it well but not making many putts," Noh said.

"I guess I just needed a birdie and that one at eight just helped me get going."

South Korea's Ko Jin-young, who led by two when the round began, fired a 66 to stand second on 196 with South Korean Im Jin-hee and American Megan Khang, who fired a course-record 62, sharing a distant third on 200.

Korda fired a 65 to share fifth on 201 with Australian Hannah Green.

Noh began a three-hole birdie run at eight, added another at 12 and birdied four of the last five holes, including a tap-in at 18 after landing her approach within three feet of the hole.

"I really just want to focus on my tempo and my game tomorrow," Noh said. "I tell myself that every time I'm in this position because you end up thinking about other scores, other people around you.

Three-time Founders Cup winner Ko, a two-time major winner who birdied two of the last three holes, has a similar attitude.

"She made a lot of birdies and that was good motivation to me," Ko said. "We had so much fun. Looking forward to tomorrow. I have a good chance. I just want to think about myself and do my best."

Khang birdied eight of the first 11 holes and broke Ko's day-old course record with the lowest LPGA round of her career.

"Having a day like this gives myself a little reminder that I'm pretty good at this sport," Khang said.

"Happy I could get it on a Saturday to hopefully give myself a run on Sunday. I expect to be chasing tomorrow, but if I can just keep the same mentality... that's all I can ask for, just try not to get ahead of myself and stay in the moment."

Khang opened with back-to-back birdies, added another at the fourth then reeled off four in a row to close the front nine and added another at 11. She answered a bogey at the par-3 15th with a birdie at the par-5 17th and sank a short birdie putt at 18.

In all she had 25 putts, reached 16 of 18 greens and found 12 of 14 fairways.

"Coming out with a birdie on the first and the second, always a good feeling," she said. "Everything felt kind of dialed in. Happy that putts were starting to drop and hopefully it continues tomorrow."

- 'Just got to battle' -

Korda, who won last year here on her hometown course, opened with a birdie and made another at four, briefly led after a run of five birdies in a row starting at the par-5 eighth.

"You just keep firing at pins and choosing your lines and try to narrow your targets down and then you just shoot at them," Korda said.

Korda made bogeys at the par-3 15th and par-4 16th to fall back but closed with a birdie.

"You've just got to battle," she said.

H.Jarrar--SF-PST