LOS ANGELES: World number one Nelly Korda faces a duel with Ireland’s Leona Maguire for the LPGA Match Play crown after both players powered into the final on Saturday.
Korda, chasing a fourth straight tournament victory, advanced to Sunday’s final after comfortable wins in the quarter-finals and semi-finals at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas.
The American downed compatriot Angel Yin 3&2 to reach the last four, and then overwhelmed South Korea’s An Na-Rin 4&3 in the semi-final.
Korda came into this week’s hybrid strokeplay/match play tournament in blistering form after recent wins at the Drive On Championship, Los Angeles Open and Arizona Championship.
However she faces a formidable opponent in Sunday’s final in the shape of Maguire, the Solheim Cup star with a proven track record in match play.
The 29-year-old had little difficulty in reaching the final, defeating Thailand’s Moriya Jutanugarn 4&3 in the morning session before taking care of Korea’s Kim Sei-Young 3&2 in the semi-finals.
“I love this golf course,” Maguire said. “I keep saying it’s one of my favorites we play all year. “It’s a challenge. You just have to embrace it for what it is and take every shot and just really try and execute.”
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Maguire revealed she had met up with her European Solheim Cup team-mates for a dinner this week in Las Vegas.
“It was great to catch up with everyone,” Maguire said. “Ultimately I love match play. I like the competitiveness of it.”
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