When her par putt dropped on No. 18 at Old American Golf Club, Jin Young Ko stretched, shut her eyes and looked to the heavens. Winning the Volunteers of America Classic, her eighth career LPGA Tour title struck an emotional chord.
It was a race to beat the dark on a marathon moving day. Jin Young Ko completed her second round on Saturday morning, then turned around for a 3:42 p.m. CT third-round grouping at Old American Golf Club in The Colony, Texas. Thirty-one holes later and the seven-time LPGA Tour winner is the Volunteers of America Classic 54-hole leader by one stroke at 14-under par overall.
Mother Nature stole the show Friday morning at Old American Golf Club in The Colony, Texas, dumping almost two inches of rain on the course and causing a six-hour weather delay. Once action commenced, it was a brilliant performance from recent Rolex First-Time winner Matilda Castren.
“Deep in the heart of Texas” has a special ring to many LPGA Tour players who hail from South Korea. Thanks to nearly a full year of playable golf conditions – and several non-stop flights from Dallas to Seoul – numerous Korean LPGA Tour Members make their U.S. base in the greater Dallas area.
As the final day of the Volunteers of America Classic began with two major champions, Inbee Park and So Yeon Ryu, and LPGA Tour rookie Yealimi Noh with the 54-hole lead, Angela Stanford rose to the occasion just 55 minutes away from home at the Old American Golf Club. She secured her seventh career LPGA Tour victory and first since her maiden major title at the 2018 Evian Championship.
Two-time major champion Anna Nordqvist finds herself tied for the lead along with Americans Jessica Korda and Yealimi Noh at four-under-par. Starting the day with a birdie on the 1st hole, the Swede carded three more birdies in her round until an unfortunate bogey on the last cost her the solo lead. "I think I made four in a row on making the turn too," said Noh of her birdie opportunities.
Charley Hull leads the Volunteers of America Classic at Old American Golf Club by one shot after and opening three-under-par 68. Thailand's Pornanong Phatlum and Americans Jessica Korda and Jennifer Kupcho are in a share of second place.
