Kim has 11 birdies and an eagle with just one bogey through 36 holes.
Grace Kim tied the course record at Wilshire Country Club on Thursday with a 7-under 64. What would the Australian do for an encore in the shadows of the Hollywood Hills?
How about a second-round, 5-under 66, which staked her to a four-shot lead when she walked off the course late in the day Friday at the 2024 JM Eagle LA Championship.
Kim, who won as a rookie in 2023, is in a good position after 36 holes to earn her second LPGA victory. She would also be the third Aussie – and second in a row – to win at Wilshire, following Hannah Green (2023) and Minjee Lee (2019).
“I’ve been mentally in the dumps up until last week, and I wasn’t in a good place,” she said to Golf Channel’s Karen Stupples after her round. “But I knew I was close and I knew my game was good enough. I just mentally had to be sharp enough on the course, and I think having low expectations entering the week helped a lot.”
Kim went bogey free in her opening round. On Friday, after she bogeyed the par-3 12th hole, she quickly responded with an eagle on the 13th. Over two days, she has carded 11 birdies.
In seven LPGA tournaments so far in 2024, Kim has three missed cuts, including last week at the Chevron Championship, and a high finish of T-25, which came two months ago at the HSBC Women’s World Championship.
Aces high
Auston Kim made a hole-in-one on the par-3 18th hole, her ninth hole of the day, on Friday.
Stark had a new and interesting goal at last week’s Chevron Championship.
Maja Stark had a new and interesting goal at last week’s Chevron Championship: No swearing. No outward displays of frustration.
The advice came from Peter Hanson, a former pro who works with fellow Swede Ludvig Aberg, a rising star on the PGA Tour. Instead of telling Aberg to have more patience, they work on saying “just keep playing.”
The shift takes a player out of thinking about what just happened, and instead points them to thinking about what’s ahead.
“I think that has been way better for me just both with staying calm with what I’m doing now,” said Stark at the Chevron, “but also being aggressive on the next shot.”
Stark, 24, finished runner-up to Nelly Korda last week in Texas, her best finish in a major. Last month, she tied for third at the Ford Championship. This week at JM Eagle LA Championship at Wilshire Country Club, Stark opened with a 6-under 65 and sits one shot behind leader Grace Kim.
Stark said some of the frustration she’s felt on the LPGA is due to the tour playing tougher courses than what she experienced on the Ladies European Tour, where she won six times.
“You know, when you’re used to having more made cuts and top 10s and everything you kind of expect it,” said Stark, “but then the competition is just so much harder out here than it was on my previous tour.”
“So, yeah, and I just tended to get stressed a lot when I messed up and then that leads to me making more and more mistakes.”
Stark left Houston with a confidence boost after a more patient mindset enabled her to get up-and-down from some “really bad places.” That’s carried on this week in Los Angeles, where Stark has worked to conserve energy after a draining major championship run.
“I feel like I’ve just been more patient,” said Stark. “Haven’t made any dumb mistakes. Just taking my medicine where I needed to.”
Hannah Green plays her shot from the fifth tee during the first round of the 2024 JM Eagle LA Championship at Wilshire Country Club. (Photo: Harry How/Getty Images)
Last year’s Wilshire winner, Hannah Green, opened with a 67. The Aussie has stayed with the same host family at the event since 2018 and enjoyed having Wilshire members out watching her play on Thursday. She’s a regular at the Great White Australian café that’s across the street when she has a late tee time. Wilshire is a comfortable place for the four-time winner.
“It’s nice to be able to switch off properly,” she said.
“I knew that once I had kids I wanted to be home,” Olson told Golfweek. “That was a huge desire of my heart.”
Carly Gray Olson just started to crawl last week. Her first teeth came in, too. These are the sweet moments that take most of Amy Olson’s focus these days, which is why the LPGA veteran announced on social media Wednesday that she wouldn’t be coming back from maternity leave.
“I knew that once I had kids I wanted to be home,” Olson told Golfweek. “That was a huge desire of my heart.
“Even when (husband) Grant and I were dating, years ago, we talked about how I wanted to play for 10 years, that was my goal, and then I wanted to shift homeward and focus on family.”
Olson, 31, joined the LPGA in 2014 after winning an NCAA record-tying 20 titles at North Dakota State University, eclipsing the mark of 17 set by Juli Inkster.
Looking back, Olson said winning the 2009 U.S. Girls’ Junior gave her a huge confidence boost as did qualifying for the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open while in college and holding the first-round lead at The Broadmoor. The eventual winner that week, So Yeon Ryu, retired after last week’s Chevron Championship.
(1/4) What. A. Ride. My journey in professional golf is officially ending. Call it quitting, retirement, a VERY extended maternity leave 🤷🏼♀️ …I am turning the page to the next chapter in my life. I couldn’t be more thankful for the places God took me through this game of golf. pic.twitter.com/PQ4MoDu8O9
One of Olson’s favorite memories on the LPGA was clawing back from 6 over through 13 holes at the 2021 Kia Classic to finish tied for second.
Of course, she realizes that others will remember more painful runner-up finishes, like the 2018 Evian Championship, when she made double on the 72nd hole to lose to Angela Stanford.
Or when she was in contention at the 2020 U.S. Women’s Open in Houston and her father-in-law, Lee Olson, died from a heart attack the night before the final round. Olson finished second that year, too.
“Unfortunately, a couple of the pivotal ones of my career were actually really sad moments,” said Olson. “But I think one of the things I’ve always been most proud of is keeping golf in perspective and realizing that life is bigger than golf. In a lot of ways, some of those bigger moments that people remember me for, I was able to live that out in front of them.”
Olson said while there aren’t regrets in terms of what she could’ve done differently, there are dreams that will go unrealized as this chapter of life ends. She never played on a U.S. Solheim Cup team or won an LPGA event.
“I’ve had to come to terms with that,” said Olson, “I’m just realizing OK, that’s not part of my story, and realizing I have different dreams and bigger dreams, rather than clinging to the same ones that motivated me for a number of years.”
The bigger dreams, she said, are ordinary and small. Being a wife and a mom, being present for the milestones, passing on her perspective and deep faith to Carly.
Angela Stanford’s road to 100 consecutive majors hasn’t yet reached a dead end, but time is running out. On Tuesday, the 46-year-old competed in a U.S. Women’s Open qualifier at Soboba Springs Golf Course in San Jacinto, California, and failed to advance after rounds of 74-74 left her 4 over. Taiwan’s Hsin Yu Lu (4 under) and Mariel Galdiano (2 under) earned spots in the championship, which will be held May 30-June 2 at Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club.
Last week, Stanford competed in her 98th consecutive major at the Chevron Championship, where she played on a sponsor exemption. The 2018 Evian champion needed two more starts to join Jack Nicklaus as the only golfers to reach 100 consecutive majors. Nicklaus owns the record with 146 consecutive major starts (1962 Masters Tournament through 1998 U.S. Open). Adam Scott made his 90th consecutive major start earlier this month at the Masters.
Stanford hoped to receive a special exemption for the U.S. Women’s Open but was informed before the qualifier the USGA had denied her request.
“While a handful of people did not believe the road to 100 was a worthy pursuit, I feel like most did,” Stanford wrote. “Thank you to the LPGA media, golf media, the fans, Chevron, and I believe KPMG and PGA of America would’ve embraced 100.
“As I was standing on my 36th hole today, I was overcome with pride. I haven’t been that proud of myself in a long time. My body held up, thank you Dan. My game held up, thank you Todd. My caddie help up, thank you John.
“Sometimes we don’t get the results we want in this game, but I went after it. I put myself out there and went for a goal that was really hard.”
Angela Stanford poses with the trophy after winning the Volunteers of America Classic at the Old American Golf Club on December 6, 2020 in The Colony, Texas. (Photo: Chuck Burton/Getty Images)
Stanford, who is in the field this week at the JM Eagle LA Championship, has two other ways to gain entry to the Women’s Open: win an LPGA event or climb into the top 75 in the Rolex Rankings before May 27. Stanford, a seven-time winner on tour, currently ranks 398th and joked that at least Nelly Korda, winner of the last four LPGA starts, isn’t in the field this wek at Wilshire Country Club.
The USGA provided the following statement on the decision not to award a special exemption:
Unlike most other events, our field is quite literally, “open.” We allocate roughly 50 percent of our field to open qualifying, which provides an opportunity for any player (not exempt) to earn their way into the championship. We rarely offer special exemptions, as they remove “open” spots from the field, that thousands are competing to earn.
We don’t have “sponsor invites” nor do we think about our exemptions as media stories and/or “local favorites.” Rather, when we do extend a special exemption, we do it purely based on a player’s extraordinary performances over the years, especially in USGA championships, additional major championships, time spent as World No. 1, Tour wins, as well as recent performances/ranking.
We wish Angela the best of luck over the coming weeks as she tries to earn a place in the field and hope to see her in Lancaster and in USGA championships for many years to come.
Stanford’s streak started at the 2002 McDonald’s LPGA Championship and, given how few players on the LPGA compete past the age of 40, let alone stay healthy enough to sustain such a stretch, many believe another opportunity like this might not come around again in the women’s game.
“A friend of mine send me a text saying my mom would have been proud,” Stanford wrote. “She would have. She taught me to go for the tough things in life. She loved the majors. They have always been the toughest.
“Thank you to my family and friends who have sacrificed so much for me. I’ve been told I should smile more on course. I’m going to try that the rest of the year. Play some of my favorites and call it a career on this tour. #Roadto100 #Exit98.”
This list is updated through the 2024 Chevron Championship.
The LPGA has three members of the $20 million club, five who have won at least $17 million in on-course earnings, 24 with $10 million or more and 81 who have earned at least $5 million.
Annika Sorenstam leads the way. Sorenstam, Karrie Webb and Cristie Kerr are the three golfers who have surpassed $20 million.
Nellly Korda, with her win the 2024 Chevron Championship, her second major, is the 23rd player in LPGA history to surpass $11 million.
Let’s take a closer look here at the top 20 of all-time.
This list is updated through the 2024 Chevron Championship.
The quest for six straight victories will have to wait.
Nelly Korda’s quest for six straight victories will have to wait. The World No. 1 announced on social media that she has withdrawn from this week’s JM Eagle LA Championship at Wilshire Country Club. On Sunday, Korda became the third woman in LPGA history to win five consecutive starts on tour, making her fifth a major title at the Chevron Championship.
“It was not an easy decision,” Korda wrote. “After the unbelievable week at The Chevron and grinding through the mental and physical challenges of four events in the past five weeks, I am definitely feeling exhausted. With so much still to come throughout 2024, I feel I need to listen to my body and get some rest, so I can be ready for the remainder of the season.”
Korda became the first American woman to capture five or more wins in the same LPGA season since Juli Inkster in 1999. At age 25, she’s also the youngest American to win a second LPGA major since Juli Inkster in 1984.
The tour takes a week off after the LA Championship before starting a two-week swing in New Jersey with the Cognizant Founders Cup, May 9-12, at Upper Montclair Country Club.
No player in the history of the LPGA has won six consecutive starts.
THE WOODLANDS, Texas – A bald eagle circled the sky to the right of the fourth tee box on Sunday as Nelly Korda continued her march toward history. A powerful American player hasn’t dominated the LPGA since Beth Daniel in the early ’90s. The last time an American won five consecutive starts: Nancy Lopez in 1978.
It’s no wonder LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan strolled inside the ropes on Sunday afternoon at the Club at Carlton Woods, marveling at one of the best crowds the tour has seen in years.
“This is a gigantic moment for us,” said the commish.
Korda’s gutsy and stylish victory at the Chevron Championship signals a new era in the women’s game, one golf hoped would come with Michelle Wie West or Paula Creamer or Lexi Thompson. None of them rose to No. 1, let alone claimed two majors or went on a hot streak the likes of which only five players in the history of golf have ever done.
Korda, 25, now owns 13 career titles, tying current Solheim Cup captain Stacy Lewis, who did win two majors and rise to No. 1, though she shared the stage with a major-winning machine in Inbee Park.
“It’s everything that I’ve always wanted as a little girl, to lift that major trophy,” said Korda, noting that she felt sick to her stomach after the longest back nine of her life.
Nelly Korda celebrates with the trophy after winning the 2024 Chevron Championship. (Photo: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports)
Korda returned to the course Sunday morning before the sun rose, with the wind up, temperatures 30 degrees lower and a marathon day ahead. She started with a 3-foot putt on the 12th hole and grinded out a series of pars on the back nine to finish Round 3 one back of South Korea’s Hae Ran Ryu and retreated to put her feet up.
Rest has played a vital role in Korda’s rise. It started with a seven-week break that followed her first victory in her hometown of Bradenton, Florida. After three victories in as many weeks, Korda enjoyed a week off during Masters week and didn’t leave the house for two days as she snuggled with older sister Jessica’s infant son Greyson for contact naps and tried to block out the world.
On Sunday, she had a two-hour break between rounds before returning to the range to warm up with her tight-knit entourage of physio, caddie, agent and instructor. She took time to sign autographs and take selfies before heading to the first tee.
When it comes to winning streaks in golf, Byron Nelson leads the way with a mind-blowing 11 in 1945. Tiger Woods won seven straight starts between the 2006-07 seasons and both Ben Hogan (1948) and Woods (1999-2000) each won six consecutive. Woods also had a streak end at five in 2008.
Early on in Sunday’s final round, it felt like Brooke Henderson was the most likely spoiler to Korda’s run. A thinned chip shot on the fourth hole just off the right side of the green, however, ran into a greenside bunker and the winningest Canadian golfer in history needed two swings to get out. The resulting double bogey came as Korda made a second consecutive birdie.
To her credit, Henderson birdied the next two holes to get back in it. But a chip-in birdie from Korda on No. 10 stretched her lead to four, and it suddenly felt all but inevitable.
The biggest question at that point was whether or not Korda would actually take a chilly dip into the murky pond that surrounds the 18th.
Lauren Coughlin, a journeywoman whose husband recently quit his job as a fundraiser at the University of Virginia to travel the world with her, was within two of Korda with three to play but rattled off bogeys on the 16th and 17th to fall back to a share of third.
Sweden’s Maja Stark had a run of her own down the last, but back-to-back birdies on the closing two holes weren’t enough to thwart Korda, who hit three spectacular shots down the stretch, including a near ace off the flagstick on the 17th, to seal her second major title with a fourth consecutive round in the 60s and a 13-under total.
Tournament officials threw teddy bears to the little girls who’d lined up by the 18th green to watch their hero, chanting her name.
During the trophy presentation, Korda’s team began taking off their shoes to prepare for the celebratory jump. Korda got at the back of the line as they lined up on the dock, led by physio Kim Baughman, agent Chris Mullhaupt, instructor Jamie Mulligan and caddie Jason McDede. Korda went in last, pulling her knees in tight for the cannonball of her life.
Nelly Korda jumps in the lake after winning the 2024 Chevron Championship. (Photo: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports)
“Everyone was talking about creating history,” said Korda’s father Petr, who stayed dry under the scoreboard, “and to do that under this pressure.”
Well, as he said, it was nothing short of phenomenal.
After the cold plunge, the woman who is on a heater of historic proportions clutched a portable heater as she answered questions from the press. She talked about the doubt that crept in after a monster 2021 season that saw her win a major and an Olympic gold medal.
“I heard some outside voices from other people saying that they don’t know if I’ll ever be able to win another major again,” said Korda.
A number of injuries, including a terrifying blood clot that required surgery, held her back in recent years, but she doubled down on the hard work and leaned into a team that feeds off the positivity of Mulligan.
McDede has been on Korda’s bag since she started winning in 2018 and calls Mulligan a father figure to him, noting that aura that surrounds the California instructor.
“We spend a lot of time on the phone together,” said McDede. “He’s always there for you. He’s always got a story to tell you, but then when he looks at you to be locked in, then you’re locked in.”
Korda called McDede her punching bag, her best friend and her teammate. She credited him with keeping her in the moment during a brutally long six-hour round.
The first LPGA player Mulligan ever coached was childhood friend Amy Alcott, the first player who ever jumped in the pond at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, California, starting a tradition that became part of the lore of winning what once was known as the Dinah Shore and last year moved her to Texas. The LPGA Hall of Famer sent a text to Mulligan this morning, and they now share piece of LPGA history.
Mulligan doesn’t believe Korda has changed much during the streak, but more slipped deeper into the system they’ve built.
Korda confirmed that she’ll play next week at the JM Eagle LA Championship at Wilshire Country Club, where she’ll try to become the first LPGA player to win six consecutive starts.
The week ended with a similar question Korda fielded at the start: How can this run elevate the tour?
“It’s a stage,” said Korda. “We need a stage.”
Even though final-round action went well past NBC’s scheduled three-hour window, the network continued Chevron coverage until the finish, buoyed by the fact that Scottie Scheffler’s run at the RBC Heritage was on hold due to weather.
“I think all of the stars were aligned for today,” said Marcoux Samaan.
Annika Sorenstam (2004-05) and Nancy Lopez (1978) are the only two LPGA players to win five consecutive starts.
THE WOODLANDS, Texas – There’s a portable heater on the dais now at the 2024 Chevron Championship, hidden behind a vase of flowers, and Nelly Korda was grateful for the warmth.
After a storm system rolled through The Woodlands on Saturday, suspending Round 3 and dropping 1.52 inches of rain, temperatures plummeted into the low 50s, and the wind kicked up for the resumption of play. It was an early wakeup call for the 7 a.m. local start time on Sunday, and everyone on the leaderboard grinded down a demanding final stretch at the Club at Carlton Woods.
Korda, who looks to become only the third player in LPGA history to win five consecutive starts, trails by one going into the final round, with her 12:36 p.m. ET tee time coming roughly two hours after she completed her third. Hae Ran Ryu, last year’s Louise Suggs Rolex LPGA Rookie of the Year, holds the lead at 11 under after making birdie on three of her last six holes on Ssaturday to shoot 67. Ryu began Sunday morning in a share of fifth.
Korda, meanwhile, held on with a long string of pars to card a 69 and sit tied at 10 under with Brooke Henderson. While Korda had seven holes left to play this morning, Henderson needed only to finish the par-5 18th. Henderson parred the last to shoot a course-record 64 and put herself in the mix for a third career major title.
“So different, oh, my gosh,” said Korda. “The first three days we were sweating so much, and today I was freezing out there. Pars went a long way. Made some good up-and-downs. Overall played pretty well. The golf course is just playing so different right now. It’s quite tough in this weather.
“The wind is out of a complete different direction, too, so the holes that I would probably hit 3-wood on or maybe take advantage of, I had 6-irons in instead of short irons. Completely different.”
A trio of players are tied for fourth at 8 under, including Maja Stark, Jin Hee Im and Atthaya Thitikul, who began the morning with the solo lead at 11 under. Thitikul bogeyed the three toughest holes in the third round – Nos. 14-16 – to card an even-par 72. Last year’s Vare Trophy winner injured her thumb after the LPGA season and was forced to take several months off from competition. The Chevron marks her first start to the season.
Annika Sorenstam (2004-05) and Nancy Lopez (1978) are the only two players in LPGA history to win five consecutive starts. Korda’s in prime position to make it an elite trio.
We've added more coverage for today, here is the full schedule for streaming @Chevron_Golf!
8 A.M. ET – @ESPNPlus featured group coverage of final two pairings in the conclusion of round three
12:05- 2 P.M. ET – @ESPNPlus featured group coverage of final two pairings
“I’m going to think about it positively rather than negatively,” Korda said of the long Sunday ahead.
THE WOODLANDS, Texas – As if winning five consecutive starts – with the fifth at a major championship – weren’t challenging enough, Mother Nature had to get involved. For Nelly Korda to extend her streak, she’ll have to play 25 holes on Sunday and fend off several heavyweight contenders.
Play at the Chevron Championship was suspended at 2:57 p.m. CDT at the Club at Carlton Woods for dangerous conditions. With too many storm systems in the area, officials ultimately suspended play for the day after a half-inch of rain had fallen. Forecasters expect another inch to inch-and-a-half more of rainfall tonight. Round 3 will resume at 7 a.m. CDT, and once the third round is complete, players will be repaired by score for the final round.
The final round will begin at approximately 9:20 a.m. CDT off Nos. 1 and 10 with the final group off at 11:31 a.m. CDT.
When asked why players weren’t sent off both tees on Saturday, an LPGA official said Saturday’s storm system came in much earlier than forecasted.
Atthaya Thitikul (THA) lines up her putt on the second green during the third round of The Chevron Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Atthaya Thitikul holds a one-stroke lead at 11 under over a white-hot Brooke Henderson and Nelly Korda. Rookie Jin Hee Im, playing in her first LPGA major, sits two shots back at 9 under.
Henderson had already played 17 holes Saturday when play was suspended. Her 8-under performance included a stretch of 10 consecutive one-putts. She has one par 5 left to play.
The course record is 65 at Carlton Woods and the championship record, set at Mission Hills’ Dinah Shore Tournament Course, is 62, set by Lorena Ochoa (2006) and matched by Lydia Ko (2021).
“I think the last like month and a half, two months I’ve been working with my putter trying to get comfortable,” said Henderson, “just trying to be a little bit more confident. I’ve seen progress every week, which I think is really good, and earlier this week I was feeling really comfortable, just wasn’t really making anything, but today started to make some stuff, so hopefully this is a good sign for what the future will hold.”
Thitikul, who is making her 2024 LPGA debut after suffering a thumb injury, is through 12 holes while Korda and Im are through 11. The Thai player, a former world No. 1 who won the Vare Trophy last year for low scoring average, is one of the best players on tour without a major title. She’s definitely the most rested player this week.
“I think it’s not that big (of a) deal,” said Thitikful of a long Sunday. “I think last year in Malaysia I played more than this with the playoff, 27 holes, which is fine. Still fine. Still young now. Still good.”
Lydia Ko (NZL ) has an umbrella held by caddie Paul Cormack as they walk the ninth green during the third round of The Chevron Championship golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Thomas Shea-USA TODAY Sports
Korda will sleep on the most pressure as she looks to become only the third player in tour history to win five consecutive starts, joining Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sorenstam (2004-05). Sorenstam’s fifth win was at this same major championship. She triumphed by eight.
Korda killed time during the rain delay watching PGA Tour coverage. Earlier in the week, she talked about how exhausted she felt coming home after winning three consecutive titles in as many weeks. All three victories were in difficult weather conditions. She didn’t leave the house for two days.
“If you think about it positively,” she said of the marathon that awaits, “then I have a lot of opportunities left in the day that I can go out and maybe capitalize on a couple of them, then that’s good. But I’m going to think about it positively rather than negatively.”
Lottie Woad would like to meet Nelly Korda, but she’s admittedly too scared to make the approach.
THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Lottie Woad would like to meet Nelly Korda, but she’s admittedly too scared to make the approach. If the Florida State sophomore, fresh off a victory at Augusta National, keeps playing this well at the Chevron Championship, their meeting might happen naturally.
World No. 1 Korda is one shot back of leaders Jin Hee Im and Atthaya Thitikul at the Chevron Championship at 7 under, with amateur Woad sitting four shots back. Woad, 20, is making her LPGA debut this week while 25-year-old Korda has won her last four consecutive starts on tour.
“To win four in a row is insane,” said Woad, who earned a spot in this field by birdieing three of the last four holes at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur to win by a shot. She moved up to No. 2 in the World Golf Amateur Ranking after that victory.
Woad, who shot 69 on Friday, had to choose between joining her teammates at the ACC Championship this week and playing a major. With her coach’s blessing, she got the last seat on a flight to Houston.
Korda, meanwhile, opened Round 2 with a double bogey, hitting two shots from a fairway bunker. She bounced back with birdie on the second hole, however, and never looked back.
“I actually didn’t feel bad at all,” she said of the early misfire.
Lottie Woad of England plays a shot on the second hole during the second round of The Chevron Championship at The Club at Carlton Woods on April 19, 2024, in The Woodlands, Texas. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
With the tees up 20 yards on the closing par 5, Korda hit 5-iron from 212 yards and two-putted for a closing birdie to shoot 69. Hae Ran Ryu, the 2023 Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year, carded a 66 to trail Korda by one.
Now, with a long wait before the start of her third round, Korda planned to get some lunch, get treatment and just chill.
“My parents are here,” she said, “so just going to go spend some time with them. Go get a good coffee and, yeah, just relax, watch a show or something.”
There’s a possibility of Korda and Woad playing together on Sunday at the Club of Carlton Woods on network television, though much can happen between now and then.
Plenty of folks on social media, however, view Korda’s victory as inevitable. Korda is quick to point out that it’s only the halfway point.
“Just going to stick to my process and vibe with it is what my coach says,” she said, smiling.
While Korda will rely heavily on the man who has been on her bag since she first started winning on tour six years ago, Woad just met her local caddie, Candy Herrera, earlier in the week.
Herrera played college golf with former Chevron winner Pernilla Lindberg at Oklahoma State and has been caddying at Carlton Woods for the past 10 years. Her husband, Daniel Rodrigues, is a pro at the club.
Herrera, who never turned professional and is caddying in her first professional event, said Woad does all of her yardages. Her main job is to keep Woad laughing and follow the lead of the other caddies.
“I try not to get in the way,” said Herrera, “so I tried to mirror what they were doing so I wouldn’t be an outlier in the group.”
Candy Herrera is a local caddie here at Carlton Woods. She played collegiate golf at Oklahoma State but never turned pro. She’s caddying in her first pro event this week with amateur Lottie Woad. pic.twitter.com/7CBKLaT2Wc
Woad had her father in Augusta along with her grandmother and an aunt. Her caddie for the ANWA was England national coach Steve Robinson. Her childhood swing coach was in the gallery along with her college coach and several teammates.
This week, however, Woad is mostly on her own. She’s trying to keep up with teammates at the ACCs but not so much her classes. Her first final exam is April 29 at 7:30 a.m. in American History. The Seminoles currently sit in sixth place through two rounds without Woad in the lineup.
So much has happened to Woad in the span of a fortnight that she hasn’t even had the chance to properly celebrate her last life-changing victory. Teammates welcomed her back to the airport in Tallahassee. There was a cake and former Seminole Frida Kinhult, who is in the field this week, made cupcakes. Kinhult also had an extra room for Woad at the Airbnb in Texas.
“I was trying to make sure I made the weekend,” said Woad of her aim for the week.
