Lauren Coughlin remains the 54-hole leader at the Aramco Championship, but Nelly Korda trimmed the margin to two shots on Saturday as Shadow Creek’s hilly setup again made pars look like strong scores.
Korda birdied the final two holes to card a 69 and move to five-under, sitting solo second. Coughlin shot a one-over 73 and stays at seven-under. They are two of only five players in red figures: Nanna Koerstz Madsen and Miyu Yamashita are three-under, and Leona Maguire sits at one-under.
“Shadow definitely showed its colours the last couple days,” Korda said, noting how tough the layout has been, especially on the back nine. The world No. 2’s early-season form is starting to resemble her breakout 2024 — when she won seven times and claimed player of the year — after a quieter 2025. Through three events this year she already has a victory and two runner-up finishes.
“I’m just playing really good golf,” Korda added, saying she feels refreshed after some time off and pleased with the work she put in during the break.
Coughlin, a winner in Canada and Scotland in 2024, showed the benefit of course knowledge. She nearly came out on top at Shadow Creek last year when the club hosted match play, reaching the final pairing before falling to Madelene Sagstrom. “There are a few holes you can make birdies on, like the par fives, 11 and 12,” Coughlin said. “You try to take advantage and hang on for dear life on the others.”
Hyo Joo Kim, who has enjoyed recent success, had a rough day: she opened with two bogeys and a double-bogey over the first three holes and finished with a 79, dropping from a tie for second to a tie for 17th at four-over.
The Aramco Championship is co-sanctioned by the Ladies European Tour, carries a $4 million purse and draws many of the world’s top players. The final round airs live on Sky Sports Golf from 11pm on Sunday, with streaming options available.