Korda struggles to 74, finishes eighth at Marathon Classic

Nelly Korda entered the final round of the Marathon Classic on Sunday with a two-shot lead, 18 holes away from her first LPGA Tour victory.

But while the 18-year-old has shown she has the talent to win on Tour, it was not her time. Not yet.

Korda struggled to a 3-over 74 at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania, Ohio, paving the way for In-Kyung Kim, who shot an 8-under 63 and cruised to a four-shot victory over American Lexi Thompson.

Korda made only one birdie in her round with four bogeys. Kim birdied six of the first nine holes and became just the second two-time winner this season on the LPGA Tour.

“It’s golf. I really didn’t expect anything,” Kim said. “Maybe, I think, that’s why I played really well today. Really good names are on top of the leaderboard, and I just wanted to go out and make the most out of it, and today I was able to do that.”

Kim also won the ShopRite LPGA Classic in June in New Jersey. The six-time LPGA Tour winner joined fellow South Korean player So Yeon Ryu as the only multiple winners this season.

After playing the front nine in 6-under 28, the 29-year-old Kim and added birdies on Nos. 15 and 16. She finished at 21-under 263 at Highland Meadows.

In the 2010 event, she lost to Na Yeon Choi in a playoff.

“I always liked the golf course,” Kim said. “I had a playoff before and I just have great memory.”

Thompson closed with a 66.

“Overall, I’m very happy with the way I played,” Thompson said. “I was hitting a cut around the golf course, and that’s usually not what I do. But I managed to put up some good scores.”

Korda earned $33,745 for her eighth-place finish, giving her $240,073 this season.

The tournament also represented Korda’s last best chance to impress U.S. Solheim Cup captain Juli Inkster, who has dropped hints she likes Korda’s intensity, consistency and chemistry with players assured of making the squad.

The tour travels across the Atlantic for the Ladies Scottish Open this week. Neither Korda nor her sister are entered in the event, the last tuneup before the Women’s British Open the first weekend in August at Kingsbarns Golf Links. The U.S. team will be picked after the British Open. The Solheim Cup follows Aug. 18-20.

Gerina Piller, still looking for her first LPGA Tour victory after leading after each of the first two rounds, had a 68 to tie for third at 15 under with Peiyun Chien (68).

“I didn’t come away with the win, but it doesn’t mean I didn’t have a winning performance,” Piller said. “I’m looking forward to taking the week off and heading over to the British.”

Sung Hyun Park, coming off a victory last week in the U.S. Women’s Open in New Jersey, tied for sixth at 13 under after a 70.

Lydia Ko, winless since her victory last year at Highland Meadows, tied for 20th at 9 under after a 69. She also won the 2014 event.

This story was originally published July 23, 2017 at 8:24 PM with the headline "Korda struggles to 74, finishes eighth at Marathon Classic."