CINCINNATI (AP) — Lottie Woad left Nelly Korda and everyone else behind on a rainy and breezy Saturday in the Kroger Queen City Championship.
Woad shot a 5-under 65 — a day after a 64 — to get to 11-under 199 and take a three-stroke lead over Amanda Doherty into the final round.
“I haven’t looked at the weather, but probably going to be a bit of wind in there, I presume,” Woad said. “Just try to hit as many fairways as possible again to give yourself opportunities, because if you miss the fairway you’ve kind of got to play defense.”
Korda was nine shots back in a tie for 19th after a 2-over 72 in her bid for a third straight victory. She was in the final group in all six of her previous starts this year, winning The Chevron Championship and Riviera Maya Open in the last two.
Play was delayed for about 2 1/2 hours in the morning at Maketewah Country Club, the first-year venue that features par-3 closing holes on each nine.
“I think it was a little softer,” Woad said. “Obviously, rained a bit with the storm, so you could be a bit more aggressive with the wedges definitely and you could hold a few more fairways.”
Woad is trying to win her second LPGA Tour title after taking the ISPS HANDA Women’s Scottish Open last year. The 22-year-old English player had seven birdies and two bogeys Saturday, dropping a stroke the par-4 17th.
Doherty, who shared the second-round lead with Jin Young Ko, birdied the 17th in a 69. The 28-year-old former Florida State player is winless on the tour.
“I think my game is in a good spot,” Doherty said. “Feeling pretty comfortable. Excited for tomorrow.”
Haeran Ryu was third at 7 under after her second straight 66. Lydia Ko was another shot back, shooting 69 alongside Woad.
Jin Young Ko shot a 75 to tumble into the group with Korda at 2 under.
Jeeno Thitikul topped the group at 5 under after a 69. She won the Mizuho Americas Open last week in New Jersey
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Lottie Woad, of England, hits off the third tee during the first round of the Mizuho Americas Open LPGA golf tournament, Thursday, May 7, 2026, in West Caldwell, N.J. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. (AP) — Alex Smalley lived in the Wannamaker Quad, the dorm at Duke when he blossomed into a golf star and even beat Scottie Scheffler in a key match in the NCAA Championship.
The “Wanny," as it’s called, houses sophomores and upperclassman.
He might poetically be the player hoisting the Wannamaker Trophy as the PGA Championship winner.
“My parents and I have been joking that maybe this would be a tournament that I would win just because of that kind of fact,” Smalley said. “That’s just kind of something that we’ve joked about even before I made it out here.”
Smalley graduated from Duke, loves travel to Disney World, and his mom and dad caddied extensively for him throughout his career.
Here's one more fun fact for Smalley: He leads the PGA Championship — not Rory McIlroy or Scheffler or Jon Rahm — and could close out his first career PGA Tour victory, much less his first major, on Sunday.
Smalley's recent hot streak stretched into Saturday with terrific play on the back nine at Aronimink Golf Club, with six birdies over his last 10 holes for a 2-under 68 and a two-shot lead.
The 29-year-old Smalley, out of Rochester, New York, has never finished higher in a major than a tie for 23rd. That came at Oak Hill in the 2023 PGA in his hometown. But his game has been trending upward, with seven top-25 finishes this season, including a second with teammate Hayden Springer in New Orleans and as seventh-place finish at Doral.
“I don’t want to toot my own horn or anything, and I mean this in the nicest way possible, I’ve had that the last couple of weeks, I’ve been fortunate to play, fortunate enough to play well the last few weeks to where that’s starting to become a norm, if you want to call it that,” Smalley said.
The norm just might earn him the Wannamaker Trophy.
Take a look at his accomplishments in just three rounds at Aronimink.
Smalley (67-69-68) is the only player in the field this week to shoot under par in each of the first three rounds and he has a 54-hole lead for the first time at a PGA Tour event.
“Anybody who wants to play golf for a living dreams of winning on the PGA Tour when they’re younger,” Smalley said. “I recognize that I have an opportunity to do that tomorrow. I recognize that it’s on a stage that’s a little bit larger than most other tour events. I’m trying to downplay that as much as I possibly can just to make it seem like any other golf tournament, because essentially that’s all it really is.”
At Duke, Smalley set the school record for the lowest career scoring average at 71.32 and the single-season scoring record of 70.35. He topped Scheffler of Texas in a 5-and-4 victory in a singles match at the 2018 NCAA Championships that might be his biggest claim to fame.
So far.
Smalley will be paired in the final group with Matti Schmid tomorrow. Neither player has a win on the PGA Tour.
Rooting on Smalley in his third career PGA will be his parents, Terry Smalley and Maria Smalley. Maria has been on the bag for her son in the past and was even dubbed a “mom-ager" for her active role inside the ropes.
“She takes videos of me when I’m out competing in a tournament. If she sees something, she might tell me later that night like, `Hey, your tempo seemed a little quick today. What did that feel like?'' Smalley said "Or she’ll send them to my golf coach as well so he can kind of see things.”
The best highlight video awaits Smalley now, if he can hang on at Aronimink for one more round.
AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf
Alex Smalley lines up his shot on the 17th green during the second round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Aronimink Golf Club, Friday, May 15, 2026, in Newtown Square, PA. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Alex Smalley hits from the first fairway during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Aronimink Golf Club, Saturday, May 16, 2026, in Newtown Square, PA. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Alex Smalley hits on the eighth hole during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Aronimink Golf Club, Saturday, May 16, 2026, in Newtown Square, PA. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
Alex Smalley hits from the fourth tee during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Aronimink Golf Club, Saturday, May 16, 2026, in Newtown Square, PA. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
Alex Smalley waves on the 10th green during the third round of the PGA Championship golf tournament at Aronimink Golf Club, Saturday, May 16, 2026, in Newtown Square, PA. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum)
