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 Hwang’s 18-foot birdie putt didn’t just miss; the wind literally blew her ball off the green, exposing the impossibility of fair competition.

And the forecast doesn’t 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.

Nelly Korda’s 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 Brooke Henderson is her closest rival at 7 under after a brave 66.

If Saturday taught us anything, it’s that Nelly Korda 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.

Korda’s secret wasn’t just skill; it was a mental fortress.

“I knew the conditions were going to be tough, so getting off to a good start like that really helped,” Korda said. “Overall just stayed really focused and super committed on my lines. It’s really easy to doubt yourself and your lines in winds and conditions like this.”

Her comment reveals the mental challenge. When wind dictates every shot, second-guessing becomes the real enemy. Korda didn’t 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.

“When you’re out there you’re so focused on being present and focusing in on the shot that it hasn’t really hit me like how well I played,” Korda said. “You’re almost in survival mode, especially the last holes.”

While Nelly Korda thrived in Saturday’s chaos, organizers faced their own crisis. And it is making Sunday’s final round possible at all.

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Sunday’s format changes

The brutal forecast forced the $2.1M tourments officials to make significant changes. Temperatures are expected to drop to around 25 degrees Sunday morning with wind gusts over 20 mph. The high won’t reach 50 degrees.

Officials cut the field to 60 total participants, 10 fewer groups, and 30 fewer players. The 39 LPGA players will all still compete, but only 21 celebrities ranked by score after the third round made the cut. Groups of three will tee off from both the first and 10th.

Television coverage shifted dramatically. The first two hours (2-4 p.m. ET) will air live on NBC, then move to Golf Channel for the final two hours (4-6 p.m. ET). Peacock will stream from 1-2 p.m. ET.

England’s Charley Hull summarized the week’s weather with her trademark bluntness: “It’s colder here than in the UK at the minute, 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.”

The cold won’t matter to Nelly Korda. She’s already proven she can handle anything Mother Nature throws at her.