Click here for tee times for the final round of the 2019 Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions.
Lydia Ko, Eun-Hee Ji, John Smoltz
10:50 a.m. – 1st Tee
Lydia Ko heads into the final round of the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions at the top of the leaderboard. The two-time major champion shares the 54-hole lead with Eun-Hee Ji at 13-under par. Ko opened with rounds of 66-68 to put her in contention throughout the week, but it was the bogey-free 66 on Saturday that earned her a spot at the top of the leaderboard. Throughout the week, Ko has credited her playing partners for her great start to the year. The celebrities she’s been grouped with have been a welcome distraction, which has kept her from getting caught up in the reality of leading a golf tournament.
Ko has gone on to win six times when holding a share of the lead heading into Sunday, including most recently in her victory at the 2018 LPGA MEDIHEAL Championship.
For the fifth time in her career, Ji will sleep on a share of the lead heading into Sunday. The first round co-leader bounced back to the top with a 66 on moving day to give herself a chance to capture her fifth career victory on the LPGA Tour. Ji has spoken openly throughout the week about the changes she’s made to her swing, but they haven’t yet become automatic and the conscious decision to avoid reverting back to her old swing has added to the challenge of playing in the first event of the year.
John Smoltz leads the celebrity division with 116 points, five points ahead of his closest competitor and the winner of last year’s event, Mardy Fish.
Brooke Henderson, Mark Mulder, Mardy Fish
10:40 a.m. – 1st Tee
Brooke Henderson, the 36-hole leader struggled to a 2-under par, 69 on Saturday to drop out of the lead. She’ll enter the final round at 12-under par, one-stroke back of the lead. But Henderson, like Mark Mulder and Mardy Fish, her playing partners on Sunday, know what it takes to be successful at Tranquilo Golf Club. Henderson has good memories to fall back on during the final round. She finished T7 in this event last year on a sponsor invite when the event was part of the PGA Tour Champions. Mulder and Fish will be riding good vibes as well as the pair have won the celebrity competition in 2017 and 2018, respectively. Mulder is currently second behind Smoltz, with 112 points. Fish is third with 111 points.
Nelly Korda, Shanshan Feng, Derek Lowe
10:30 a.m. – 1st Tee
Nelly Korda, a first time winner last Fall, played like a veteran on Saturday. Korda carded the low round of the day with a bogey-free, 6-under par, 65 to jump into contention heading into the final round. Korda sits two-strokes back at 11-under par. When the younger of the Korda sisters captured her first win in 2018 at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship she held a share of the overnight lead, so a come from behind win on Sunday would be a new achievement for the third-year member.
Korda will play the final round alongside former Rolex Rankings world No. 1 Shanshan Feng. The Olympic bronze medalist made the most of her time off, making it exactly that - time away from the game. Feng completed her first 18-holes of golf in the New Year when she teed it up for Thursday’s opening round. She carded rounds of 71- 67 – 66 to sit at 9-under par, 4-back of the lead.
MLB All-Star pitcher, Derek Lowe, is the final member of this group. He is currently fourth in the celebrity division with 105 points.
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