Jessica Korda is aiming to follow in her father’s footsteps on Sunday and snare another Australian national title.
The 18-year-old American held a one-shot lead on Saturday after the third round of the Women’s Australian Open at Royal Melbourne Golf Club.
And she is already on her way to topping her tennis-playing father Petr Korda, who won the Australian Open tennis crown in 1998.
“My dad was World No.2 and I told him I want to beat that,” Korda said.
Just as they did for Petr 14 years ago, the stars stumbled and the doors opened for Jessica.
She fired an even-par 73 in tough, windy conditions to enter the last day four under the card.
One shot back are Canberra’s Nikki Campbell plus Koreans So Yeon Ryu and Hee Kyung Seo.
While Campbell also found herself in a race for the title following a sparkling 70, Ryu and Seo struggled, shooting 76 and 75 respectively.
World No.1 Yani Tseng shot 71 to be two off the pace.
Korda’s composure was helped by her early arrival in Melbourne, picked up at the airport by Victorian former international pro and course designer Mike Clayton, who caddied for her in a practice round the next day.
Searching for a caddy for his daughter, Petr Korda had phoned friend and fellow Australian Open tennis winner Ivan Lendl, who was in Melbourne last month as coach of Scottish star Andy Murray.
“Ivan goes out and plays golf with Michael all the time so he told me Michael would get me a caddy,” Jessica said.
“I came out here on Sunday with a buggy ready to walk by myself and he caddied for me.
“He was a really good help and it was a lot of fun,” she said. “He knows the course and the greens probably as well as anyone.”
Korda said it would be “an awesome thing” were she to emulate her father’s achievement.
She said he played golf but “he caddied for me (on the LPGA Tour) last year and was so sick of golf at the end of it that the only time we got him out was in December once or twice.”
Korda said she was unfazed by leading the tournament at the age of 18.
“It feels like any other day, honestly. Don’t get me wrong, it feels really good but I have one more day left,” she said.
She said she would be nervous on the first tee on Sunday but not afraid.
“It’s something to embrace and it’s a good feeling to be out there and on top of the leaderboard.”
