Rose Zhang and Madelene Sagstrom share the limelight as co-leaders at the Cognizant Founders Cup heading into the weekend, but Nelly Korda is determined to make her presence known.
With Zhang and Sagstrom knotted at an impressive 13-under 131 after two rounds at Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton, N.J., Korda emerges as the closest contender, trailing by four strokes at 9 under.
Korda has her sights set on rewriting LPGA history by clinching her sixth consecutive victory, a feat currently held by the legendary Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez, who both boast five consecutive wins.
Despite her stellar performance, Korda failed to gain ground on Sagstrom, who matched her impressive 66 on Friday to catch up to Zhang.
Sagstrom’s journey included a thrilling rollercoaster ride through holes 10-13, featuring a double bogey, birdie, eagle, and bogey sequence. Reflecting on her ups and downs, Sagstrom admitted, “I grinded hard… It’s one of those moments where you’re going to make mistakes.”
Meanwhile, Zhang, the 20-year-old phenom, continued her quest for a second LPGA title with a solid round highlighted by birdies on the front nine. Despite challenging conditions, Zhang maintained her composure, emphasizing the importance of clutch par putts to stabilize her game.
As for Korda, her early birdie barrage set the tone, with four birdies in her first seven holes. She capped off her round with birdie putts on Nos. 14 and 18, showcasing her formidable putting skills.
With the leaderboard tightly packed, Yan Liu of China sits in fourth place at 6 under, followed by Mel Reid of England at 5 under. Notable names like Lydia Ko, Minjee Lee, and Hannah Green are part of a 10-player tie for sixth at 4 under.
However, the cut line claimed some high-profile casualties, including Lexi Thompson, Atthaya Thitikul of Thailand, and South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai.