As the final group chased what little daylight was left up the 18th hole, Charley Hull rinsed her approach at Pelican Golf Club while Nelly Korda suffered a disappointing three-putt.
“I was hitting a 7-iron to the green, and usually my 7-iron in this weather is like 165, 107 club. The sun then dropped, and it was kind of dark. Then it got the wind up, and I hit a really good 7-iron in and hit it pure. It just come up short in the water. Tricky little up-and-down,” said Hull.
“But my putt, I could barely see the hole. I couldn’t see the break or anything. So it was pretty dark to finish in.”
Korda called it poor planning, starting the third round so late at The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican. The TV window was scheduled to finish at 5 p.m. ET but the final threesome, which teed off at 12:13 p.m., didn’t finish until 5:50 p.m. and Golf Channel stayed on air til the end.
Hull and Korda, two of the fastest players on tour, can’t be blamed. The final round is scheduled to finish at 4:30 p.m. ET on Golf Channel.
Hull paces the field at 12 under while Korda, a two-time winner of this event, sits one back with China’s Weiwei Zhang. While Korda looks to nab her seventh title of the season, Zhang is fighting for full status for the 2025.
“I just felt it’s amazing day today,” said Zhang, who carded a career-low 8-under 62. “I can’t say anything. Just I don’t know how to play that well today.”
There’s much on the line Sunday at Pelican, which year after year delivers a first-class finish. In addition to the trophy, players are battling for a spot in the 60-player CME Group Tour Championship as well as their status for next season. In addition, South Korea’s Jin Hee Im, who currently trails by three, looks to make a big move in the Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year race.
Two-time major winner Brittany Lincicome, who lives in nearby St. Petersburg, will tee it up in her final round as a full-time player on Sunday. Lincicome carded a second consecutive 69 and holds a share of 36th. She tees off at 9:12 a.m. on Sunday alongside Ally Ewing and Jiwon Jeon.
Lincicome has her husband, Dewald Gouws, on the bag this week but plans to have her father, Tom, come inside the ropes Sunday to carry her home on the 18th. It will no doubt be an emotional finish for the mother of two who has long been a fan favorite.
