Carla Tejedo (-8) remains in the top 10 of the Fortinet Founders Cup with 18 holes to play. The golfer from Castellón has aced another trial by fire: her first moving day on the LPGA Tour. It is one of the toughest days. She has made the cut and it’s time to attack to get herself into the best possible position for Sunday. Carla has pulled it off brilliantly.
At the Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club in California, the Spaniard got off to a flying start in the third round. She carded two sensational birdies at holes 2 and 3 and kept the sequence going, registering two more in succession at 6 and 7. That’s how you start a Saturday when you have nothing to fear. She also added another birdie at 10. Thus, with that magnificent five-under start she was right in the fight for second place, elbow-to-elbow with Jeeno Thitikul, Nelly Korda or Nasa Hataoka. No small feat.
In the last eight holes two setbacks slowed her fantastic run a bit. Even so, a 69, her third consecutive under-par round on a very demanding course, and provisional ninth place with 18 holes to play. Let’s not forget this is her first ever tournament on the LPGA Tour and she’s behaving as if she’s been doing it all her life. She still has to finish the job this Sunday, a task that is not always straightforward. For now, she’s doing plenty to ensure she’s very well placed for when the season’s first reranking comes around.
Carla is doing wonderfully, but the victory is truly out of reach. Nothing to fault her for; all the credit here must go to Hyo Joo Kim (-17). The Korean has been playing on another level all week and did it again on Saturday. A 66 with a brutal start. After six holes she was six under for the day with four birdies and an eagle. Unassailable.
Kim has half a victory in her pocket, maybe even three quarters. She has a five-shot lead over Nelly Korda (-12) and six over Ruixin Liu (-11) and Gaby López (-11). Fifth place is already at -9. The win should be among those four. Normally it should go to Kim, a very experienced winner who also has a Major on her record. However, those coming from behind are powerful. The Korean will still have to play under par if she does not want to get a scare from some of her pursuers, golfers capable of going very low when needed
