Tag: Nelly Korda

Danielle Kang tops U.S.-heavy leaderboard at Diamond Resorts TOC

Danielle Kang tops the field at the LPGA’s Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions while sisters Jessica and Nelly Korda sit one back.

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Florida – It’s an exceptionally red, white and blue board early on at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions. Danielle Kang tops the field of 25 at 7-under 64 while sisters Jessica and Nelly Korda sit one back along with 2020 TOC champion Gaby Lopez.

Mothers Stacy Lewis and Brittany Lincicome trail by two strokes at 5 under; Lexi Thompson and Angela Stanford are three back.

Two exposures to COVID-19 kept Kang from preparing for the TOC like she wanted, but the good vibes from her usual celebrity pairing made for a fun day.

“Besides what I shot,” said Kang, “I had a blast. Like I do, I really love playing with Lee (Brice) and Cole (Swindell).”

The Kordas have never been paired together in a final group on Sunday. Jessica said they’ve moved on from having year-long bets for hand bags, but she did catch a peek at the leaderboard on the ninth (her last hole) and took a little motivation from seeing Nelly’s name at 6 under.

“I was like, dang, I got to make this,” she said, smiling. “Glad I did.”

When asked what a final round together might be like, Nelly reflected on a situation from her rookie year.

“We’ve played together twice my rookie year,” she said. “I remember her making at Blue Bay, either like she made like a pretty long putt for like eight or nine. … I don’t know what she did on that hole. I was like, ‘Do I talk to her? Do I not talk to her?’

“But she just burst out laughing after. So we talk, and it’s like playing with anyone else. You talk, you chitchat here and there, but at the end of the day, you know, you’re trying to get to business.”

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Jessica said her debut in last year’s TOC was a learning experience. This year, she felt more prepared for the mentality of the pro-am format. The highlight, she said, is meeting the celebrities.

“My brother always makes me take a bunch of selfies with people because he’s so upset he’s not here,” said Jessica. “I was like, alright, so I had to do one today. He’s like the biggest fan of “The Office,” so I was like walking around the range (looking for Brian Baumgartner), ‘Can I get a selfie? My brother is a big fan.’ ”

Mardy Fish, a two-time winner of the TOC celebrity division, sits two points ahead of Yankees outfielder Aaron Hicks after the first round of the Modified Stableford format. Fish, who was grouped with Nelly in the first round, is quite familiar with the Korda family.

“I’m the Davis Cup captain for the U.S.,” Fish said, “which is like tennis’ Ryder Cup, and Sebastian is certainly on the short list of players in Madrid for later in the year. I’ve followed the past couple years his career, and trajectory is pretty incredible. Yeah, amazing family.”

Annika Sorenstam, a Diamond Resorts ambassador, played alongside Lopez and John Smoltz in the opening round. The LPGA Hall of Famer had a good look at birdie on the first hole after striping her tee shot but was mostly disappointed in her opening effort.

“I was so nervous. I’ve been actually hitting it really well and I was so excited and I got out here and it was paralysis by analysis. I was tight, there were a lot of things I haven’t felt in a while because I haven’t played. I couldn’t really get comfortable at all.”

Sorenstam FaceTimed with her son Will immediately after the round. He’d just gotten out of school and looked at the points online – “Mommy, you tied for seventh” –  and is eager to come out over the weekend with his sister Ava to watch mom compete. (Sorenstam ultimately finished solo seventh for the day, seven points behind Fish.)

“The first hole it kind of looked like I knew what I was doing,” said Sorenstam. “It’s golf. Hopefully I have a good night’s rest, I come out and I feel more relaxed. I want to really enjoy it.”

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LPGA preview: Judy Rankin weighs in on a brewing battle for 2021, Nelly Korda’s enviable swing and Lydia Ko’s future

World Golf Hall of Famer Judy Rankin, lead analyst for Golf Channel, caught up with Golfweek to talk about the upcoming LPGA season.

The 2021 LPGA season kicks off Jan. 21-24 at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, a mere four weeks after the 2020 season concluded in Naples, Florida. World Golf Hall of Famer Judy Rankin joined the LPGA as a teenager in 1962 and still keeps as close an eye on the tour as anyone as lead analyst for Golf Channel. Golfweek caught up with 75-year-old Rankin to talk about the upcoming season and her thoughts on some of the biggest names in golf.

Which player are you most curious about going into 2021?

I had had a hunch that we would see a real battle between Sei Young Kim and Jin Young Ko. Just seems fairly obvious to me. These are the two that play the hard courses well and they seem to have a tremendous consistency.

These are just hunches on my part. I think Brooke Henderson has been awfully quiet. I feel like she will come back with a vengeance. And I really don’t think we have seen how the good the Korda sisters are. I can’t say that we are going to immediately, but that’s what I think.

Obviously both (Nelly and Jessica) had some physical ailments, but what else is holding them back, do you think?

I don’t know. I think it’s getting in the mode that you really believe you can win every week.

CME Group Tour Championship 2020
Jin Young Ko poses with the CME Globe trophy after winning the CME Group Tour Championship. Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images

Jin Young Ko made quite the statement to end last year. What do you like most about her game and how high is her ceiling?

From what I can understand, in the last year and a half she decided that she wanted to hit the ball a little farther and she accomplished that. She seems to take little pieces of her game that she thinks she can improve on … she seems to take on that mission and do it. There’s a fine line between that and the player who says ‘I have to hit it farther to compete’ and destroys themselves. She seems to have an extremely measured way of considering what needs to be better and getting it done. I think that’s all a part of how we see her play under pressure and so on because there’s such a calmness about her.

Let me equate it to my television. I can remember way back in the very beginning when I was trying to memorize everything. At some point, I don’t know if it was divine intervention or what is was, but I quit trying to memorize things and I could think. When I could actually have my brain work a little bit and think, not only did I enjoy it more, but I’m told I got better.

To me, that’s a little bit how you see some people trying to play. They’re trying to think about all those things that are working or not working, they’re fixated with their golf swing. It takes up too much space, where they can’t just have the instinctual things, and the things they would see that help them to react to a shot or how they play it. That stuff doesn’t happen like it should.

With her, it looks like it’s always happening the way it should.

She seems to have a maturity that’s beyond her years.

To some degree, that’s what I’m saying. It’s a maturity. When you say that about somebody, you’re saying that they play as though they’ve had a lot of experience, yet we know they haven’t had those experiences.

Inbee Park in the final round of women’s golf during the Rio 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports

Where would a gold medal rank for you in the scope of a career?

Huge. A gold medal is every bit of a major championship if not a grand slam. Now, if you look at it in a more rational sense, the people you have to beat and the test and all that, it isn’t anywhere near as hard as a grand slam. That’s our perception of the Olympics and a gold medal, which clearly over all these years has been built over all sports.

Will Lydia Ko ever be No. 1 again?

I don’t think so. I think she can be a significant player and certainly a winner again. But I think that was a gift and a moment in time. It’s not that I don’t think she’ll ever be good again, because I do think she will be. But I don’t think she can be a dominant player. And one reason is when she played with the skills she had – and she was so skilled – that it didn’t matter that she wasn’t knock-your-socks off long. And that’s hard to get back again.

LPGA: LPGA Drive Championship - First Round
Lydia Ko of New Zealand tees off on the 17th hole during the first round of the LPGA Drive Championship golf tournament at Inverness Club. Photo credit: Marc Lebryk-USA TODAY Sports

You said a moment in time, do you think everything was going so perfectly for her at that time that without the advantage of length, she can’t get back there?

I don’t mean to use fantastical words, but she was young. She really didn’t know any defeat. She didn’t know about not trusting herself. And she had perfected what she did to a great degree where the consistency was unbelievable. She was also a very good putter.

It’s funny that this not very big girl, became a little bit of an intimidating factor to young women on the tour.

Who is your favorite player to watch right now?

Well, I tell you, I like when I talk with her and spend a little time with her, I very much like Sei Young Kim. I don’t know if people grasp that watching her play. She has a bit of a sense of humor. It’s a fun conversation.

As far as beauty of the game, I like to watch Nelly.

Nelly Korda plays a shot on the second hole during the third round of the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club on November 23, 2019 in Naples, Florida. (Photo by Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

What do you admire the most about Nelly’s game?

Her golf swing. The taller people tend to have golf swings that are more graceful. To me, it’s very powerfully graceful. … I think when Michelle Wie was 14 and 15, she might have had the swing that Nelly has now. Then her swing changed so many times and got so different. Nelly’s is the swing we would all have if we could all be 5-foot-11, long-limbed and all these things.

Who is underachieving the most right now?

Ariya Jutanugarn, there is no doubt as far as talent-wise. I don’t know why. I don’t know what’s gotten into her head.

How would you fix Lexi Thompson?

I really do think a big part of it is in her head. I think if she could play more relaxed, if she could play and not worry about putts. And believe me, I’ve had plenty of moments of my own that I wish I could have, so I don’t know how to tell her. But I think there’s a terrible stress in her game, that sometimes she doesn’t acknowledge. … I don’t know, you just can see it. … I think she just needs to play with a little reckless abandon, and I don’t think she can do that. With the people around her and this and that, that’s pretty hard to do.

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CME Group Tour Championship notes: Nelly Korda rides back-nine 31 into contention

Nelly Korda got on a run Friday at the CME Group Tour Championship to vault up the leaderboard and into contention.

What’s been a strange year for everyone because of the coronavirus pandemic got stranger for Nelly Korda  a couple of months ago.

The 22-year-old cracked her back during the KPMG Women’s LPGA Championship in October, and it went into spasm. Korda made sure she took off enough time to be completely healed, then returned for the U.S. Women’s Open in Houston, missing the cut with a pair of 73s.

“It was more of like my feel wasn’t really there,” she said. “At the end of the day, no one really pays attention I think to like, ‘Oh, she was injured.’ They pay attention to the score.

“For me to step back and say, OK, my team knows I was rusty and I didn’t play well. It’s OK. You’re going to have bad tournaments. Just focus on the upcoming one and do as well as you can.”

Korda has done just that during the CME Group Tour Championship so far. After playing her first 11 holes Thursday at 2 over, she has played the last 25 holes in 7 under to vault up the leaderboard and into contention.

Korda got an assist from her dad, former tennis star Petr Korda.

“It was really nice to roll in some putts,” she said. “I wasn’t putting too well (Thursday), but my dad — behind the fence — saw me putt on the putting green after my round and helped me out a little bit.

“So that really helped today.”

Korda hasn’t had any hiccups with her back so far.

“My caddie was funny,” she said. “I would hit like – I would go after a shot like in the rough and my caddie was like, ‘Are you OK?’ Yeah, I’m fine.”

Korda’s play at Tiburón isn’t a surprise. She’s been in the top 10 in each of her three appearances in Naples.

Still, she was able to put together a 5-under 31 on the back nine, starting out in chilly temperatures.

“It was a little nippy,” Korda said. “Not going to lie, I didn’t feel my fingers on the range. I stayed aggressive, hit some really close shots, and capitalized on them.”

Korda’s happy that temperatures will warm up into the upper 70s and near 80 over the weekend.

“I’m so excited,” she said. “I’m a Florida girl. I do not like this. I like fall fashion, but I do not like playing golf in this kind of weather.”

Henderson rallies into top 20

Miromar Lakes resident Brooke Henderson continued her comeback from a triple-bogey on her second hole Thursday, shooting a 4-under 68 to tie for 16th. That included an eagle Friday on the par-5 17th.

“No. 17 was a really nice bonus,” Henderson said. “It was up and over a ridge, and it was a long one.”

Henderson, who is from Canada, said she just got into trouble after a bad tee shot on the triple-bogey.

“I felt like I battled back pretty well (Thursday), getting it back to 1 over,” Henderson said. “I was sort of happy at the end of the day, and happier now to get a solid round.”

Henderson, even before she bought a place here, always had the more-than-supportive Canadians in Southwest Florida come out. Like everywhere this year, the fans are missed, but Henderson and the Canadians had their own connection.

“There’s always tons of Canadians down here supporting me,” she said. “I definitely miss them this year, but hopefully next year things will get back to a little more normal.”

More than a tough start

Nanna Koerstz Madsen shot a 6-under 66 to move into second place Thursday, and said she had no expectations.

“I just want to go out and play and see if I can do good mentally,” Madsen said.

That didn’t happen at the start of Friday’s second round. Madsen bogeyed No. 2, double-bogeyed No. 3, quadruple-bogeyed No. 4, and bogeyed No. 5. She parred No. 6, and ended up playing the final 13 holes in 3 under.

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Nelly Korda returns from back injury just in time for U.S. Women’s Open

Nelly Korda withdrew from the KPMG and hasn’t been seen until this week at the U.S. Women’s Open, where she’s taking things “step by step.”

HOUSTON – Nelly Korda did something “stupid” (her word) on the 13th hole of the first round at Aronimink Golf Club. She tried to crack her back, and it went into spasm. Korda said she doesn’t normally crack her back, but it was cold outside in the opening round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and she could feel it tightening up.

“I just made a little oopsie,” said Nelly, “which turned into a little bit longer of an oopsie.”

She withdrew from the October major and hasn’t been seen since – until this week at the U.S. Women’s Open, where she’s taking things “step by step.” She started practicing about a dozen days ago. Played 18 on Monday for the first time since the opening round of the Women’s PGA.

Both the Cypress and Jackrabbit courses are in use this week at Champions Golf Club as both tracks are needed to get 156 players around with limited daylight. On Tuesday, Korda played the front nine on the Jackrabbit course and chipped and putted on the back nine.

USWO: Photos | Tee times, TV | First-timers | Memories

Asked if she feels a little anxious going into a major with so little preparation, the 22-year-old said, “A little, yeah. I mean, you kind of don’t know what’s going to happen. I mean, your feel is not 100 percent there. Like yesterday when I was putting, I was hitting them like 10 feet by.”

Korda, now No. 3 in the Rolex Rankings, is on the short list of best players without a major, joined by the likes of Minjee Lee and Nasa Hataoka. She lost in a playoff earlier this year to Mirim Lee at the ANA Inspiration and took a share of third last year at the KPMG at Hazeltine. Her best finish at a USWO, a share of 10th, came in 2018.

Korda, who played practice rounds with older sister Jessica this week, was 14 years old when she debuted at the USWO with her dad on the bag. Petr Korda will be here this week too, walking outside the ropes. Nelly tied for 64th in 2013 at Sebonack in her dream week.

“That’s kind of where I decided this is what I want to do for the rest of my life,” she said.

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Nelly Korda withdraws from KPMG Women’s PGA Championship with injury

Nelly Korda is out of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship after citing discomfort in her back.

NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. – Nelly Korda has withdrawn from the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. The World No. 2 opened the tournament with a 1-over 71 at Aronimink and trailed early leaders Kelly Tan and Brittany Lincicome by four strokes.

Korda cited discomfort in her back as the reason on her Instagram post, noting that she planned to see a specialist.

Korda lost in a playoff last month at the ANA Inspiration and was a heavy favorite coming into the season’s third major. She finished fifth at the ShopRite LPGA Classic last week.

Older sister, Jessica, shot 3 over in the first round.

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While Sebastian Korda enjoys career week at French Open, sisters Nelly and Jessica roll at ShopRite LPGA Classic

While Sebastian Korda is enjoying a career week at the French Open, his sisters Nelly and Jessica are rolling at the ShopRite LPGA Classic.

Sisters Nelly Korda and Jessica Korda shot matching 68s in the opening round of the ShopRite LPGA Classic and will now turn their attention to younger brother Sebastian, who has advanced to the third round of the French Open.

Sebastian, a qualifier in Paris who made his Grand Slam debut this summer at the U.S. Open, takes on Pedro Martinez Friday at 6:30 a.m. ET.

“Honestly, it’s been awesome,” said Nelly. “Jess and I have been waking up early for every single one of his matches.”

Sebastian, 20, earned his first career tour level match victory at Roland Garros, matching his father’s feat at the same venue in 1988 at the same age. Sebastian, known as Sebi, became the youngest American to reach the third round in Paris since 18-year-old Andy Roddick in 2001.

ShopRite LPGA Classic: Leaderboard | Five things to know

“I’m over the moon,” the 213th-ranked Sebastian told the Herald Tribune after defeating veteran John Isner in the second round.

Both Nelly and Jessica are gearing up for their own major, with the KPMG Women’s PGA scheduled for next week just outside Philadelphia. Their parents didn’t travel to France, planning instead to attend the KPMG.

“But little did we know we can’t have guests,” said Nelly of next week’s COVID-19 restrictions. It was the same policy for the year’s first major at Royal Troon back in August.

Nelly started out with bogeys on three of the first hour holes Thursday but turned things around with a hole-out for eagle on the eighth hole followed by a birdie. She played the last 14 holes in 6 under.

“Coming from Florida, I’m not used (Poa annua), said Nelly. “I have a lot of wedges in and I have to play for a longer shot because it just rips back with spin. Like honestly, on one hole I had 20 yard of rip-back.”

Nelly, currently No. 2 in the world, came close to winning her first major title last month at the ANA Inspiration, where she lost in a playoff to Mirim Lee.

When asked if the family text thread is getting a lot of action this week watching Sebi’s career week, Nelly smiled.

“Oh yeah,” she said, “it’s a lot of LFG, LFG, LFG.”

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At last! Sunday at the ANA poised to deliver long-awaited star-studded showdown

Nelly Korda, Brooke Henderson and Lexi Thompson are all in contention at the ANA Inspiration entering the final round.

As LPGA stars cranked up the heat midway through the second round of the ANA Inspiration, technical difficulties brought the desert party to a screeching halt. Golf Channel viewers were suddenly forced to watch reruns of the second round.

Nancy Lopez spoke for all of us when she tweeted: “Ridiculous!”

Mercifully, live golf came back after 20-plus minutes, and when the dust settled in the desert, the board at the ANA was a commissioner’s dream. Three of the most popular players in the women’s game are duking it out at the top: Brooke Henderson, Nelly Korda and Lexi Thompson.

“I think this is exactly what everyone has been waiting to see,” said Golf Channel’s Karen Stupples.

No doubt.

LEADERBOARD: ANA Inspiration

The first major of the year delivered an unforgettable Cinderella Story with Sophia Popov’s unlikely victory at Royal Troon. (Regrettably, she wasn’t invited this week.)

Now the storylines shift from longshot to long-awaited, with co-leader Nelly Korda looking to break through for her first major title. She’ll be in a comfortable pairing alongside Brooke Henderson, a friend since junior golf. The winningest Canadian golfer won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship four years ago, and most would’ve predicted that she’d have a second by now.

Lurking two shots back in the penultimate group is Lexi Thompson, the 2014 ANA winner who still seeks vindication from that four-stroke penalty fiasco in 2017 at Dinah’s Place. As 1976 winner Judy Rankin says, “it’s like she owns this course.”

With brother Curtis leading on the Korn Ferry Tour, it could be a sensational Sunday for the Thompson crew.

Lexi recently went back to her childhood swing instructor, Jim McLean, and they spent time looking at old swing footage – the library goes back to around age 11. Thompson decided to stop fighting how she’s always naturally played: aim it up the right and draw it back.

Lexi Thompson during the third round of the 2020 ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Golf Club. (Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports)

“Basically what I saw is a lot of people always notice my foot movement and how I get off the ground,” Thompson, “and when I was little it might have been even more than it is now. There was no restriction, I just hit it hard and got off the ground and I knew it was going up the right and turning back … that confidence is what I’ve kind of changed.”

Korda will have dinner with her parents on Saturday night, as they always do, and she predicted that they’ll talk about everything but golf.

While her father, Petr, owns a Grand Slam tennis title, winning the big ones is no one-size-fits-all proposition, she said. They’ll remind her to take deep breaths and use her sun umbrella to stay out of the heat.

“Honestly, it’s just about experience and going through it yourself,” she said.

Karrie Webb owns the largest come-from-behind victory at the ANA. She holed out for eagle on the 72nd hole in 2006 and ultimately won in a playoff against Lorena Ochoa. Webb started the day seven back.

Among the notable chasers this year are No. 2 Danielle Kang, a two-time winner since the tour restarted its season. She trails by five. Stacy Lewis, the 2011 champion who recently won in Scotland, sits four back alongside 2020 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion Rose Zhang.

Katherine Kirk and Mirim Lee, two veterans looking for their first major title, are two back.

The only thing that seems certain about Sunday at the Dinah’s Place is that the giant blue wall that’s on the back of the island green on No. 18 will most assuredly be a factor. The forward tee is traditionally used in the final round, and with this year’s structure taking up a tremendous amount of space, players will bomb it at the wall like a backboard and hope for the best.

“Hopefully it doesn’t affect tomorrow’s outcome,” said Stacy Lewis.

One can only hope.

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ANA Inspiration: Smoky skies, low scores and a wall of strategy and confusion

There are plenty of interesting storylines at the LPGA’s ANA Inspiration at Dinah Shore: the heat, the smoke and the big, blue wall on 18.

The second day at the ANA Inspiration began with a smoky haze which lingered and kept the temperatures lower than predicted, although it did eventually reach 100 degrees.

Also lower than predicted? The scores. Nelly Korda is 11 under through two rounds. Mirim Lee is 9 under. Either one would’ve led the tournament through 36 holes last year. In 2019 only nine golfers shot better than 2 under through 36 holes. This year, there is a whopping 30 golfers at 3 under or better entering Saturday.

The course is getting harder, physically harder that is, so that makes it more difficult to control the ball. We’ll see what that means for the weekend.

Here were other sights and sounds and smells from Day Two at the LPGA major championship at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage:

LEADERBOARD: ANA Inspiration

Wall of confusion

The tees were moved way up on the 18th hole Friday, making the par-5 hole only 485 yards, so many golfers were going for the island green in two. That led to several balls winding up against the blue wall that has replaced the grandstands to the left of the 18th green as players use it as a safety net and backstop much like they used to with the stands. The wall has been nicknamed The Great Wall of Dinah around the grounds.

The end result, though, was a lot of confusion about how to gain relief from the wall, which is closer to the green than the grandstands were. Almost every other group had to call for the rules official to assist with the drop. Some dropped it near where they were against the wall, some were told they had to drop it in an area behind the green no closer to the hole.

Poor Amy Olson, along with a rules official, measured the distance from her ball to the cup, then walked off the distance from the cup to the back-of-the-green drop area, then went back to where her ball was. Then, Olson pointed at the ground. The whole ordeal took about 12-15 minutes, and she finally chose/had to drop at the back of the green. Then, after all that, she chipped up and two putted for a par.

The point is there seemed to be more confusion than normal this year. I would suggest a rules official just stationed back there to help move the operation along, instead of having to call one every time a question arose.

The blue wall behind the 18th green at the ANA Inspiration during a Golf Channel broadcast. (Beth Ann Nichols/Golfweek)

Bank shot

The only person I saw reach the green in two shots was Nasa Hataoka, whose second shot actually hit the wall in the air and bounced off of it onto the edge of the green. The golf gods were on her side, but like the golf gods often do, they left her side quickly. She four-putted for bogey.

The reward part of the risk-reward shot just didn’t seem to be there on this day. No one in the field recorded an eagle on 18.

The sound of no hands clapping: One of the more comical side effects about not having fans is the very official announcement of the players’ names on their opening tee shot resulting in absolutely no applause.

“Now on the tee, 2018 ANA Inspiration champion, from Bollnas, Sweden, Pernilla Lindberg.” And then no applause. Followed by a sheepish wave from the player.

Usually, anyone around gives a polite clap just so it’s not dead silence. The walking scorer, the opposing caddie, the person dishing out water and Gatorade, perhaps even a nearby media member like myself, joins in with some clapping and light whistling to try to match the gravitas of the players’ name announcement.

Smoking section

As the first groups teed off around 7:30 a.m. on Friday morning, the sun rising in the east was an eerie glowing orange perfect sphere as it shone through a layer of smoke. Winds shifted overnight, and smoke from the nearby El Dorado fire hung over the Coachella Valley. The smoky smell faded quickly, but a haze remained throughout Friday.

Positive attitude

In Gee Chun, who is tied for fourth at 6 under, was asked what is there to work on going into Saturday’s round. Her response? “I heard the temperature is going up tomorrow, so try drinking a lot of water and trying to enjoy the nature sounds out there.”

I like that In Gee. I, too, promise to take some time Saturday to listen to the nature sounds. Until then.

Shad Powers is a columnist for The Desert Sun. Reach him at shad.powers@desertsun.com.

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Nelly Korda’s putter saves her second round as she holds on to ANA Inspiration lead

Nelly Korda remains atop the leaderboard after the second round of the ANA Inspiration thanks to some nice putting.

RANCHO MIRAGE, California — It was the birdies that Nelly Korda made Thursday that pushed her to the early lead in the ANA Inspiration. It was the pars she made Friday that helped her keep that lead.

With five birdies in her second round but a handful of clutch par-saving putts, Korda managed a second-round 67 at the Dinah Shore Tournament Course to extend her overnight lead to three shots midway through the second round in the major championship in Rancho Mirage.

“The thing out here is you hit a solid putt and it keeps on going,” Korda said of her battles on the Mission Hills Country Club greens Friday. “You think it’s going to stop, and it just keeps on releasing, so then you’re like, this is a good putt, this could possibly go in, and then it releases five to six feet because that’s just how it is out here. I had a lot of five- and six-footers for par today.”

LEADERBOARD: ANA Inspiration

A pair of back-to-back par saves from medium distance, a 15-footer at the par-5 second hole and a 25-footer on the par-4 third hole, allowed Korda to keep her momentum and her lead over Mirim Lee.

Lee fired a 6-under 66 and is in second place at 8 under midway through the second round, one shot ahead of Nanna Koerstz Madsen at 7 under. Madsen shot 69 in the morning wave of tee times that saw all those players finish with the temperature still under 100 degrees.

The afternoon wave of golfers who could put some pressure on Korda includes world No. 2 Danielle Kang, who starts the afternoon at 4-under par, and Canadian Brooke Henderson, also at 4 under after the opening round.

Unlike her reputation as a long hitter who can dominate par-5s on a golf course, Korda made three of her five birdies on par-3s in the second round. She was just 1 under on the four par-5s, that coming with a birdie on the ninth hole, her final hole of the day.

“I’ve been hitting it really good off the tee. Even off the fairway, I mean, I’m not missing it by much,” Korda said. “Like, occasionally, because it’s so grainy out here, you catch it a little fat or you don’t catch it so clean, but honestly I’ve just been playing really solid golf.”

Starting her round on the 10th hole, Korda made four pars before a birdie on the par-3 14th, then added a birdie on the par-3 17th. A five-foot par putt on the 18th was an omen of things to come for Korda.

Nelly Korda on the seventh hole during the second round of the 2020 ANA Inspiration at Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage. (Jay Calderon/The Desert Sun)

Front-nine struggles still produce the lead

After a birdie on the first hole, Korda missed her only fairway of the day to the left of the par-5 second hole. Her second shot with a hybrid out of the tough Bermuda rough was wild and missed the fairway well to the right, and she was still short of the green on her third shot. She stubbed a chip onto the green, but made the 15-foot putt for par.

“Honestly on 2, I didn’t even hit my drive that bad, I just may have tugged a little, and I was in a spot where I was about to drop, but if I dropped I would have been in thick rough,” Korda said. “So I just took the chance. I’ve been hitting my 4-hybrid out right a lot recently, and I hit this thing probably like 30 yards out right. Near dead over there. So honestly, I was super happy with rolling that putt in. I was like, just get me off this hole.”

On the third, Korda hit her approach shot fat and short of the green, chipped up to 25 feet and seemed in danger of making her first bogey of the round, but the putt dropped.

Korda capped her round with birdies on the eighth and ninth holes after barely keeping a short par putt inside the cup on the seventh.

“The putts were definitely rolling out a little more for sure, but I think when it came to fairways they weren’t rolling out as much,” Korda said of the course. “I think in the morning it was a little softer and dewy. You had longer clubs in I would say.”

Larry Bohannan is The Desert Sun golf writer. He can be reached at (760) 778-4633 or larry.bohannan@desertsun.com. Follow him on Facebook or on Twitter at Sun.@Larry_Bohannan. Support local journalism: Subscribe to the Desert Sun.

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Strong winds wreak havoc on Day 1 at Royal Troon, Sophia Popov leads and Nelly Korda lurks

At the AIG Women’s British Open, Sophia Popov takes an early lead and Nelly Korda is close behind after Round 1.

Alena Sharp thought the 6:30 a.m. tee time might offer relief from the wind. Not the case at Royal Troon, where fences fell down as she warmed up on the range. Sharp cranked her first tee shot out of bounds at the AIG Women’s British Open and double-bogeyed the opening hole.

The Canadian veteran used to hate playing in the wind, but has since learned to enjoy the grind, an attitude that served her well in an opening even-par 71, one back of leader Sophia Popov.

Nelly Korda’s opening drive went 187 yards. She then watched her 5-iron balloon into the air 140 yards, landing short of the green.

“I had a hard time walking,” said Korda, who added that she finds it fun to play in this type of weather. Korda finished at 1 over on the day, a fine score in a four-club wind.

Catriona Matthew, the great Scot, knows better than anyone how important patience plays on days like this. The European Solheim Cup captain and 2009 British Open champion, didn’t miss a fairway in her opening 71, birdieing three of her last four holes.

“I think probably the biggest thing is not fighting the wind,” said Matthew. “Sometimes when it’s as strong as this, you just have to play with the wind.”

Popov’s journey to Troon was certainly more eventful that most. The German qualified for the year’s first major by finishing tied for ninth at the Marathon LPGA Classic, using a pull cart. She then flew to Phoenix where she played in a Symetra Tour event in temperatures that soared well over 100 degrees, finishing second. Popov arrived in Scotland on Tuesday and played in one practice round before vaulting to the top of the leaderboard.

“It’s nice to kind of get a little bit of a head start,” said Popov, who has boyfriend Max on the bag this week. “You never know how things are tomorrow and how brutal the weather is going to be. No one can really prepare me for what’s going to come tomorrow. It might go totally sideways.”

Popov, who played collegiate golf at USC, kept sharp throughout the coronavirus pandemic by competing in Cactus Tour events, winning three of them.

“I definitely think it was beneficial,” said Popov, playing in only her second Women’s British Open. “Just to keep my head in the game and to keep the competitive juices flowing because it is so easy to come back after three or four months of not playing and just being very nervous and not knowing where your game is at.”

Georgia Hall of England plays a shot at Royal Troon  (Photo by R&A – Handout/R&A via Getty Images)

Georgia Hall, winner of the 2018 British Open at Lytham and lover of links, couldn’t feed off the British gallery but likes where she stands after an opening 73. sits three shots back after

“I’m so used to having friends and family there, and people I know,” said Hall of the fan-free atmosphere. “This is where I get my most support, which really kind of spurs me on. But I know there’s loads of people watching at home, and I’ve just got to focus on my golf.”

Dame Laura Davies hit the opening tee shot on Thursday in her 40th appearance in the Women’s British. She was eight over after six holes but battled back to finish at 9 over. After a quick bite to eat, the World Golf Hall of Famer was in the booth commentating for Sky Sports.

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