American Nelly Korda on track for gold heading into final round of Olympic tournament
Golfers to get early start in 4th round to beat the tropical storm
Nelly Korda of the United States has stayed in command after the third round of Olympic golf during another blistering hot day in Tokyo.
Korda had three early birdies and a bogey across the front end, and finished with 10 straight pars on Friday. The American heads into the final round at the Kasumigaseki Country Club at 15-under.
But her lead has been reduced, with India's Aditi Ashok now three off the pace in second place. The 23-year-old golfer from Bangalore is playing with her mother at her side as a caddie; her father filled that role in Rio 2016.
Ashok had five birdies and two bogeys to shoot a three-under 68.
Officials are still wary of the weather, hoping to beat an incoming tropical storm that threatens to cut the tournament short to 54-holes.
Saturday's tee times have been rescheduled to ensure an early start for the fourth round. The first group tees off at around 6:30 a.m. in Tokyo time.
WATCH | Korda has 3-shot lead headed into 4th round:
Canada's Brooke Henderson was even par for the day, but dropped in the standings and is tied for 40th among the field of 60.
Starting on the 10th hole, Henderson birdied the 11th before problems on the back nine troubled her again. The 23-year-old from Smith Falls, Ont., had three bogeys before moving to the front nine, where she had a string of pars and three birdies.
She closed out with a bogey on the ninth.
Alena Sharp of Canada had her best round of the tournament, shooting 2-under 69. The 40-year-old from Hamilton, Ont., took a couple steps up the standings and is in 44th heading into the final round.
Also starting on the 10th, Sharp opened up her round with a birdie. She'd go on to notch three bogeys and four other birdies, including one to finish up her play on the ninth.
Fight for bronze
Five shots back of Korda, it's a four-way tie for third.
Lydia Ko of New Zealand, sitting in 10th, had one of the best scores of the day on her bogey-free round. She shot five-under 66 and sunk five birdies.
Australia's Hannah Green also had a solid round, shooting four-under 67 to put her into medal contention.
Denmark's Emily Kristine Pedersen had three bogeys, but also four birdies to keep her near the top of the standings.
Meanwhile, Mone Inami had a shot at a solo third-place finish after her third round, but bogeyed the 18th.
