The China Mail - Hull clings to one-shot lead over Korda, Zhang at LPGA Annika

Hull found water at the 18th hole and made bogey but kept the lead alone when Korda three-putted for bogey in near-darkness at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida.

"Played pretty solid. I felt like I played well all day," Hull said. "But finishing in the dark wasn't that fun. Shame to finish on a bogey but it was a good up-and-down."

That left Hull on 12-under 198 with US star Korda, a six-time winner this year, shooting 67 to stand second on 199 with Zhang, who fired an LPGA career-low 62 to leap into contention.

"I just felt it was amazing day," Zhang said. "I don't know how to play that well today. Just keep patient and just like normal and then I holed a lot of putts. That made me so surprised on some holes."

Thailand's Wichanee Meechai and South Korea's Im Jin-hee shared fourth on 201 with Germany's Olivia Cowan fifth on 202 and a pack on 203 including Japan's Minami Katsu, Mexico's Gaby Lopez and Americans Rose Zhang and Bailey Tardy.

World number 12 Hull, a two-time LPGA winner seeking her first tour victory since October 2022, won her fourth Ladies European Tour title -- and first in three years -- two weeks ago at Riyadh.

Korda, in her first event after a neck injury sidelined her last month, seeks her first victory since June.

- Dark end irks leaders -

Hull opened with a birdie, added another at the par-5 seventh and had three birdie-bogey runs in the final seven holes -- at the par-3 12th and par-4 13th, the par-5 14th and par-3 15th and the par-4 17th and 18, where she sank a four-foot bogey putt after a splashdown on her approach.

"It was kind of dark. Then it got the wind up, and I hit a really good 7-iron in and hit it pure. It just come up short in the water," Hull said.

"Tricky little up-and-down, but my putt, I could barely see the hole. I couldn't see the break or anything. So it was pretty dark to finish in."

Korda stumbled early with bogeys at the second and fourth holes but closed the front nine with back-to-back birdies. She added birdies at 11 and 14, birdied 16 and 17 then had a three-putt bogey at 18 after a four-foot par putt miss.

"I had a good middle of the round. Just played some solid golf on the back nine and started hitting my driver a little better," Korda said.

She wasn't happy about finishing in the dark either.

"Was a little bit of poor planning by starting so late for us," Korda said. "Whenever you're sitting on 18 and the sun is already down, it's never nice, especially with how slick these greens are and you can't properly see.

"At the end of the day I'm the one that missed it."

Zhang, 27, is a five-time China Tour winner whose best LPGA finish was a share of 10th at Portland in 2022.

E.Lau--ThChM