Saso loses momentum, cards 72 to trail Korda by 13

MANILA, Philippines — Yuka Saso failed to sustain her second-round resurgence and slipped back into inconsistency on moving day, settling for an even-par 72 to drop from a share of 16th to joint 20th in the third round of the Chevron Championship in Houston, Texas on Saturday (Sunday Manila time).

Coming off a superb 67 that revived her campaign, Saso once again battled erratic play. Though she showed flashes of resilience – twice bouncing back with birdies after bogeys – she couldn’t maintain momentum and ultimately settled for a pair of 36s. A closing bogey on No. 18 denied her a sub-par round and underscored her return to struggling form.

The two-time US Women's Open champion now has a 54-hole total of 213, tied with eight others and 13 shots behind leader Nelly Korda heading into the final round of the $9-million major.

Korda, despite cooling off with a 70 after back-to-back 65s, remained firmly in control at 16-under 200 and appears poised to regain her dominant rhythm to secure another major title.

Patty Tavatanakit climbed to second at 205 after a 69, while Ruoning Yin fired a 66 to join Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (67) at third with 206. Ina Yoon slipped further back at 208 following a 71.

The ICTSI-backed Saso opened with a missed opportunity on the par-5 first and bogeyed the par-3 second but answered with a birdie on No. 3. However, she failed to generate birdie chances over the next six holes.

Another bogey on the 10th stalled her again, though birdies on Nos. 12 and 14 briefly lifted her to one-under and hinted at a late charge.

That rally never materialized. Pars on the next three holes set the stage for a disappointing finish, where she dropped another shot on the last to cap a frustrating round – mirroring the inconsistency that plagued her opening day.

Over in Louisiana, Rico Hoey and David Lipsky matched their opening-round performance in Thursday’s four-ball format with another nine-under 63 in the third round of the Zurich Classic of New Orleans in New Orleans.

Despite the strong showing, the pair climbed only three spots to a share of 23rd place, as several teams posted even lower scores during Saturday’s third round of the PGA Tour’s only team event.

They included brothers Matt Fitzpatrick and Alex Fitzpatrick, who carried over the momentum from their sizzling second-round 65 with a fiery 57, surging to a four-shot lead at 30-under 186 heading into Sunday’s final round, which returns to the four-ball format.

The tandem of Davis Thompson and Austin Eckroat carded a 61 to move into a tie for second at 190 alongside former leaders Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer, who combined for a 62.

Hoey, backed by ICTSI, contributed four birdies, while Lipsky added one during their backside start for a 31. However, Hoey couldn’t maintain his momentum on the front nine, managing just one more birdie. Lipsky picked up the slack with three birdies to help the duo match their first-round score.

Now 11 strokes off the lead and with the more demanding alternate-shot format ahead, Hoey and Lipsky still have a realistic shot at a Top 10 finish, sitting just three strokes behind.