(REUTERS) - Lexi Thompson maintained her hold on first place, but fellow American Nelly Korda tied her atop the leaderboard with a field-best seven-under 63 on Saturday (Nov 13) at the Pelican Women's Championship at Belleair, Florida.
World No. 1 Korda's round was tied for second-best of the entire LPGA Tour tournament, leaving her and Thompson at 16-under 194 at Pelican Golf Club.
Korda, 23, blasted eight birdies against one bogey to surge into a tie for first a day after she shot a 66.
"Yeah, I was hitting it better off the tee today and just gave myself some really good looks," she said. "I was stuffing it on the back nine. I'm pretty sure - I mean, I had - I missed probably a 10-footer on No. 10 and then I made 11, missed 12 - I was pretty close there - and then missed 13 as well.
"So I gave myself some really good looks, so at least going in the right direction. Yesterday I was doing the same thing. I just wasn't making as much.
Today I think I just made a little bit more."
Thompson, 26, shot a five-under 65 to match Korda for a one-stroke lead. Her day was marked by six birdies and a bogey, and the pair will now be playing together on Sunday.
"So I knew Lexi because I think I met her at Curtis Cup when (sister) Jess played with her," Korda said. "They were both really young. And even US Open I remember them playing a lot of practice rounds together because they were like the young up-and-coming Americans... I definitely watched her on TV because I watched a lot wanting to see Jess.
"But, yeah, I mean, what she's done in her career is amazing, especially at such a young age. You would think she's so much older than she is. ... I had to double take. Wait, you're only that old? Only a year and a half or two years older than me? Like what?"
Jennifer Kupcho, 24, is a stroke back in third at 15 under after a 66. Two golfers, Christina Kim and South Korea's Kim Sei-young, shot identical 65s and they are both tied for fourth at 196.
"I feel like greens are faster than last year, so green play really important this week," the Korean said. "And then, yeah, and also need really good iron shot this week."
The rest of the top 10 comprise New Zealand's Lydia Ko (64) and Thailand's Patty Tavatanakit (64), tied for sixth at 13 under, Ireland's Leona Maguire (68) in eighth at 12 under and two golfers tied for ninth at 10 under, Thailand's Pornanong Phatlum (67) and Mexico's Maria Fassi (68).
