Nelly Korda showed how to deal with tough situations on Saturday by shooting an amazing 8-under 64 in conditions that would have sent most golfers back to the clubhouse. She was building separation, not just momentum. Then, just as the competitors were preparing for their final charges, an uncontrollable factor disrupted the rhythm, timing, and certainty of the tournament.
Then the weather had its say. With temperatures feeling like the 40s, 20 mph sustained winds, and gusts approaching 40 mph, play was suspended at 4:18 p.m.
The turning moment came when Youmin Hwangâs 18-foot birdie putt didnât just miss; the wind literally blew her ball off the green, exposing the impossibility of fair competition.
And the forecast doesnât help. The weather on Sunday could be even worse, with temperatures expected to drop into the mid-20s by morning. Players at Lake Nona will have to deal with a brutal overnight freeze.
It wasnât just unexpected but unprecedented. Per some reports, Central Florida is likely to witness the coldest weekend in over a decade. An extreme cold weather warning has been issued in the region.
In a later tweet, the LPGA Tour announced that the third round will resume and the final round will concurrently begin at 10 AM. Players will be split into groups of three to finish both rounds in time. As of now, eight players are yet to finish their rounds, with two still on the front nines.
Nelly Korda leads after 54-holes. Her 64 included a 30 on the front nine, with a spinning gap wedge that backed into the cup for eagle. She is 13 under 203, and Amy Yang is her closest competitor.
If Saturday taught us anything, itâs that Nelly Korda, who had to wear gloves and earmuffs, does better when others do worse. This makes her first win since November 2024 seem unavoidable.
Notably, behind Korda, the leaderboard told a story of survival and collapse.
Amy Yang was in second place with a score of 10 under through 16 holes when play stopped. Youmin Hwang (through 16) and Lydia Ko (through 15) are tied for third at 8 under. Henderson finished her round at 7 under, which put her in fifth place on her own. Miyu Yamashita came in sixth place with a score of 5 under.
The two co-leaders after 36 holes had very different outcomes. Ko lost her momentum on the back nine when she made a double bogey and a bogey on two holes in a row. Lottie Woad of England, who shared the 36-hole lead with Ko, struggled to keep pace as conditions worsened and slipped well off the lead.
Kordaâs secret wasnât just skill; it was a mental fortress.
âI knew the conditions were going to be tough, so getting off to a good start like that really helped,â Korda said. âOverall just stayed really focused and super committed on my lines. Itâs really easy to doubt yourself and your lines in winds and conditions like this.â
Her comment reveals the mental challenge. When wind dictates every shot, second-guessing becomes the real enemy. Korda didnât flinch.
She won seven times in 2024, then surprisingly went through all of 2025 without winning. Eager to get off to a good start, she seized control with great golf in bad weather, helped by the low, wind-piercing shots that carried her to a 64.
âWhen youâre out there, youâre so focused on being present and focusing in on the shot that it hasnât really hit me like how well I played,â Korda said. âYouâre almost in survival mode, especially the last holes.â
While Nelly Korda thrived in Saturdayâs chaos, organizers faced their own crisis. And it is making Sundayâs final round possible at all.
Sundayâs format changes
The cold forecast forced the $2.1 million tournament officials to make big changes. On Sunday morning, the temperature is expected to drop to about 25 degrees, and the wind will gust over 20 mph. The temperature wonât get above 50 degrees.
Officials used a split-start format to deal with the conditions. The third round will start again on Sunday at 10 a.m., and the last round will start at the same time. There will be three groups of players teeing off from the first and tenth holes between 10 a.m. and 11:39 a.m. The format gets creative for those still finishing Saturdayâs round. Players who have finished will be placed into groups based on their performance in the third round.
The last two players to finish on the front nine will play in the last group off of No. 10. And the last two groups off the No. 1 tee will be made up of the six players who still need to finish the back nine. They will be paired based on how they finish Round 3.
Officials have also narrowed the field to 60 golfers, 10 groups, and 30 players fewer than before. All 39 LPGA players will still compete, but only 21 amateur golfers who had the best scores after the third round made the cut. The first seven pairings of amateur golfers will tee off on No. 10 and only play nine holes on Sunday.
There was a big change in how television covered the event. The first two hours (2â4 p.m. ET) will be shown live on NBC, and the last two hours (4â6 p.m. ET) will be shown on Golf Channel. Peacock will be on from 1 to 2 p.m. ET.
Englandâs Charley Hull summarized the weekâs weather with her trademark bluntness.
âItâs colder here than in the UK at the moment, which is a first. Yesterday I had three pairs of pants on. I bet people were thinking, gosh, she enjoyed Christmas a bit too much.â
The cold wonât matter to Nelly Korda. Sheâs already proven she can handle anything Mother Nature throws at her.