Korda sister showdown kicks off LPGA eTour Live series

Nelly and Jessica. Korda sister kick off the LPGA eTour Live series, a match-play competition streamed on LPGA and Topgolf digital platforms

It’s not traditional tournament golf, but it’s a chance to watch some of your favorite LPGA stars (and perhaps a future star) take part in head-to-head competition.

The first match is a doozie.

On Wednesday, sisters Jessica and Nelly Korda will launch the start of the LPGA eTour Live, a match-play competition in partnership with World Golf Tour (WGT) by Topgolf. The Kordas will kick off a series of seven nine-hole online matches twice a week, with the final match taking place June 3. Each match will take place at 2 p.m. ET and will stream live on LPGA and Topgolf digital platforms.

Lucy Li is the only Symetra Tour player in the field. The Kordas will compete on Congressional Country Club’s Blue Course, host of the 2022 and 2027 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Other familiar tracks players can choose from include the Old Course at St Andrews (host of the 2007 and 2013 AIG Women’s British Open), Oakmont Country Club (1992 and 2010 U.S. Women’s Open) and Pinehurst No. 2 (2014 U.S. Women’s Open), as well as future U.S. Women’s Open venues Erin Hills (2025), the Lake Course at The Olympic Club (2021) and Pebble Beach Golf Links (2023).

GOLFTV’s Henni Zuel and Golf Channel’s Tom Abbott will add commentary during Wednesday matches, with Golf Channel’s Karen Stupples commentating on Fridays.

• • •

Here’s the lineup:

Wednesday, May 13: Match 1 – Jessica Korda vs. Nelly Korda

Friday, May 15: Match 2 – Angel Yin vs. Lizette Salas

Wednesday, May 20: Match 3 – Tiffany Joh vs. Jenny Shin

Friday, May 22: Match 4 – Jane Park vs. Lucy Li

Wednesday, May 27: Match 5 – Semifinal: winners of Matches 1 and 2

Friday, May 29: Match 6 – Semifinal: winners of Matches 3 and 4

Wednesday, June 3: Match 7 – Championship: winners of Matches 5 and 6

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Olympic postponement gives Inbee Park, Korda sisters better shot at Tokyo

The postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games gives Inbee Park, 2016 gold medalist in women’s golf, a better chance of qualifying for Tokyo.

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To make the Olympic Team in Tokyo, 2016 gold-medal winner Inbee Park figured she needed to win twice before the June qualifying deadline. Park won the last tournament the LPGA held, the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open, in mid-February before a global pandemic halted the sports world. It would’ve been a tall order to secure a second title with the tour not set to restart until mid-May at the earliest.

But now, with the IOC making the announcement on Tuesday that the Olympic Games will be postponed, Park actually has time on her side.

Officials agreed that the games will be held by the summer of 2021.

“No matter how I say it, it’s definitely an important year for me,” said Park at the start of 2020. “Even whether I get an opportunity or whether I don’t, I think I just want to have a season that I won’t regret. I just want to give myself a lot of opportunities.”

Opportunities are in short supply these days, with only mini-tour tournaments in Central Florida and Phoenix, Arizona, now taking place amidst the coronavirus outbreak.

If the Olympics were held today, Park would be the first alternate on the South Korean team, despite being No. 11 in the world. World No. 1 Jin Young Ko, Sung Hyun Park, Sei Young Kim and Jeong Eun Lee6 would be the four players representing South Korea. Neither Ko nor Sung Hyun Park have competed on the LPGA in 2020.

The top 15 players in the Olympic Golf Rankings are automatically eligible, with a maximum of four players per country.

Added time also bodes well for the Americans, who right now only have three players inside the top 15 (Nelly Korda, Danielle Kang and Lexi Thompson).

Nelly’s older sister, Jessica, is currently ranked 16th in the world. Neither of the Korda sisters competed in Rio.

In 2016, Stacy Lewis was the top American on the board, finishing just outside the medals in a share of fourth place. Gerina Piller tied for 11th and Thompson tied for 19th.

New Zealand’s Lydia Ko took the silver medal and China’s Shanshan Feng claimed bronze.

The host country currently has three players on the qualifying list: Nasa Hataoka, Hinako Shibuno and Ai Suzuki.

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2020 Olympics: Latest standings for women’s golf team with games still on

The IOC says the 2020 Olympic Games in Toyko is still on. Here’s the latest ranking for Olympic women’s golf team.

As the golf calendar continues to shake up in major ways, so far, the Summer Olympics in Tokyo are still on. The International Olympic Committee said Tuesday that there’s “no need to make any drastic decisions” at this point regarding the coronavirus. The women’s golf event is slated for Aug. 5-8 at Kasumigaseki Country Club.

If the Olympic teams were fielded off of the current rankings, the most notable name off the list is Inbee Park, who happened to win the last event staged on the LPGA last February in Australia. The 2016 gold-medal winner moved up to No. 11 in the Rolex Rankings and now sits as first alternate behind South Koreans Jin Young Ko, Sung Hyun Park, Sei Young Kim and Eun Jeong Lee6. Neither Ko nor Park have competed in 2020.

The American team would be comprised of Nelly Korda, Danielle Kang and Lexi Thompson. The U.S. needed four players ranked in the top 15 to match the Korean contingent. Jessica Korda, Nelly’s sister, is the first alternate for Team USA. Lizette Salas is the second.

The host country, Japan, would also have three players: Nasa Hataoka, Hinako Shibuno and Ai Suzuki. Both Shibuno and Suzuki won on the LPGA last year but turned down membership to compete on the JLPGA in 2020. Shibuno’s fame exploded last year when she clinched the AIG Women’s British Open in her first LPGA appearance.

Speaking of the WBO, 2018 winner Georgia Hall is currently on the outside looking in for the British team. Charley Hull and Bronte Law now hold the two spots.

The last player in the field of 60 is former Stanford standout Albane Valenzuela, who competed as an amateur in 2016 and tied for 21st. Valenzuela is now a rookie on the LPGA.

The qualification cutoff for the women’s field is June 29, immediately after the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Here’s how the Olympic rankings currently stand:

Rank Name Rolex Rank Country
1 Jin Young Ko 1 KOR
2 Nelly Korda 2 USA
3 Sung Hyun Park 3 KOR
4 Nasa Hataoka 4 JPN
5 Danielle Kang 5 USA
6 Sei Young Kim 6 KOR
7 Brooke M. Henderson 7 CAN
8 Minjee Lee 8 AUS
9 Lexi Thompson 9 USA
10 Jeong Eun Lee6 10 KOR
11 Hinako Shibuno 12 JPN
12 Ai Suzuki 14 JPN
13 Carlota Ciganda 15 ESP
14 Ariya Jutanugarn 17 THA
15 Hannah Green 21 AUS
16 Shanshan Feng 23 CHN
17 Charley Hull 25 GBR
18 Bronte Law 34 GBR
19 Yu Liu 35 CHN
20 Caroline Masson 36 GER
21 Moriya Jutanugarn 37 THA
22 Gaby Lopez 42 MEX
23 Azahara Munoz 44 ESP
24 Celine Boutier 45 FRA
25 Lydia Ko 49 NZL

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Inbee Park, Jodi Ewart Shadoff share lead at ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open

Inbee Park and Jodi Ewart Shadoff share the lead at 10 under after 36 holes at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open.

Inbee Park and Jodi Ewart Shadoff share the 36-hole lead at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open.

Ewart Shadoff, 32, held a one-shot lead after Thursday’s opening round, but stumbled Friday with back-to-back bogeys on holes 11 and 12 holes to finish the second round with a 3-under 70.

Park, who shared second with Jeongeun Lee6 at 6 under to start Friday’s second round, shot a bogey-free 4-under 69. She carded three-straight birdies on Nos. 17, 18 and 1 and added another on No. 3.

At 10 under, Ewart Shadoff and Park sit one-shot ahead of Jillian Hollis in third. Ayean Cho and Marina Alex are T-4 at 8 under.

Reigning champion Nelly Korda shot a 73 Friday, following a first-round 69. After finishing the front nine 1 over after a bogey on No. 7, Korda carded a double bogey on No. 10 and another bogey on No. 12. The 21-year-old worked her way back even par on the day by carding four birdies on the back nine. She is T-24 at 4 under. 

Among the players to miss the cut are Lydia Ko, Morgan Pressel Bronte Law and Patty Tavatanakit.

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Nelly Korda looks to add to family legacy Down Under

Nelly Korda returns to the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open in hopes of defending her title this week.

Nelly Korda has made it a point not to let anyone step on her face this week in Australia. As defending champ, her face is everywhere, including the hotel floors.

“I was like, do not step on this, OK,” she joked during her pre-tournament press conference at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open at Royal Adelaide.

National Opens are always special, but this year’s Australian Open feels a bit different, as it’s the last event before an unexpected month-long break in the LPGA schedule. LPGA officials canceled the next three events in Asia due to concerns over the coronavirus.

For those who were settling into a long overseas swing, it’s now a matter of maximizing the moment.

For Korda, that means putting in a new set of irons. The top-ranked American got stronger over the offseason and struggled to control her ball-flight in the first two events.

“The shafts were too weak and they were bending on me,” she said.

Korda finished 10th at the season-opening Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions and tied for 28th at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio. She planned to compete in both the Thailand and Singapore events. The younger Korda placed in the top 10 in both last year and was runner-up in Singapore in 2018.

It was that break-through victory at the Aussie Open, however, where Korda grew the family legacy Down Under, that felt like a dream. The first stretch of holes in particular helped shape the rest of her season.

“I started out with three bogeys last year and I just looked at my caddy and I was like, ‘You know what, I’m just going to not think about anything, about winning this tournament and just go out and play my golf game,’” said Korda. “From then on I played really well, so I think that’s kind of the mentality that I adapted throughout the whole year as well. It was funny, I learned that within three holes last year here and I kind of tried to take that mentality going throughout the whole year.”

While Korda’s face is plastered everywhere, there’s plenty of spotlight on the Aussies in the field, particularly Hannah Green, Minjee Lee and veteran Karrie Webb.

Lee’s younger brother, Min Woo, won last week’s Vic Open title. Minjee has twice won the Vic Open title, but has yet to put her name on the national open trophy. The 23-year-old is currently No. 8 in the world. Remarkably Su Oh, who is also 23 years old, is competing in her 12th Australian Open this week. She was 12 when she made her debut.

Webb is battling strep throat this week as she tees it up in her 24th consecutive Australian Open. She has won the event five times, with her last coming in 2014.

“I’ve always loved playing at home in Australia,” said Webb, “and I know I don’t have many Australian Opens left, so it’s just nice to be here.”

Green’s eyes were first opened to the life of professional golf when Karrie Webb brought her over for a behind-the-scenes look at the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open. Green had won the Karrie Webb Scholarship, which included a $10,000 prize and a trip to America. Webb got the idea from Greg Norman, who had done something similar for the overall winners of his junior golf foundation. The experience with Norman made a lasting impression on the future Hall of Famer.

Five years later, Green hoisted her own major championship trophy, winning the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship as a nervous Webb watched from outside the ropes.

“For that to happen and then Hannah to lead wire-to-wire and win was just an incredible experience,” said Webb. “Probably the worst job I’ve ever done of mentoring was I probably celebrated like I won, and probably wasn’t the best mentor that night, but I did show them how to celebrate the right way.”

Now Green, 23, is making her own mark on the next generation. This week she brought over two junior golfers, Alice and Rosie Tonts, from her home club in Perth for an inside-the-ropes experience. Green said the biggest change in her life since winning twice on the LPGA is the number of media requests she receives. Few things, however, keep a player grounded like giving back.

“I guess it’s kind of just making sure that I still stay the same type of person as I was last year and even my rookie year,” said Green. “It can definitely get to your head and you can definitely become a different person, and I hope that doesn’t happen.”

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Lexi Thompson, Korda sisters, slew of celbs highlight field list at LPGA opener

Lexi Thompson, the Korda sisters and a handful of athletes and artists highlight the field at the 2020 LPGA season opener.

A preliminary field list is out for the LPGA’s kickoff event, the Diamond Resort Tournament of Champions. Lexi Thompson and sisters Jessica and Nelly Korda highlight the event, along with Brittany Lincicome, who will make her first start on the LPGA since giving birth to daughter Emery Reign.

The event, held Jan. 16-19 at Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club Orlando, features LPGA players competing alongside celebrities like MLB Hall of Famers John Smoltz, Ivan Rodriguez, celebrity chef Bobby Flay, Larry the Cable Guy and country music star Jake Owen.

There’s never a shortage of fun at the LPGA’s opener. The entertainment lineup at the TOC includes Counting Crows, Sister Hazel, Boyz II Men, Colt Ford, Easton Corbin and Owen.

Among the recent LPGA winners not on the preliminary list: World No. 1 Jin Young Ko, Michelle Wie, Lydia Ko, Brooke Henderson, Inbee Park, Sung Hyun Park and 2019 majors winners Hannah Green and Jeongeun Lee6.

The deadline for players to commit is Jan. 3 at 5 p.m. Eastern.

Neither Jutanugarn sisters, Ariya and Moriya, nor Minjee Lee will be teeing it up, an agent confirmed.

LPGA professionals

  • Marina Alex
  • Celine Boutier
  • In Gee Chun
  • Cydney Clanton
  • Georgia Hall
  • Nasa Hataoka
  • Mi Jung Jur
  • Eun Hee Ji
  • Danielle Kang
  • Sei Young Kim
  • Cheyenne Knight
  • Jessica Korda
  • Nelly Korda
  • Bronte Law
  • Brittany Lincicome
  • Pernilla Lindberg
  • Gaby Lopez
  • Angela Stanford
  • Jasmine Suwannapura
  • Lexi Thompson
  • Amy Yang

Celebrities

  • Greg Maddux
  • Phil Nevin
  • Bud Norris
  • Blair O’Neal
  • Jake Owen
  • Chad Pfeifer
  • AJ Pierzynski
  • Alfonso Ribeiro
  • Ivan Rodriguez
  • Jeremy Roenick
  • John Smoltz
  • Cole Swindell
  • Brian Urlacher
  • Jack Wagner
  • Michael Waltrip
  • Deron Williams
  • Larry the Cable Guy
  • Jon Lester
  • Ben Higgins
  • John Hart
  • Denny Hamlin
  • Terry Francona
  • Tom Glavine
  • Colt Ford
  • Bobby Flay
  • Mardy Fish
  • Josh Donaldson
  • Larry Fitzgerald
  • Mark DeRosa
  • Roger Clemens
  • Lee Brice
  • Josh Beckett
  • Brian Baumgartner
  • Ray Allen
  • Marcus Allen

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Top 10 LPGA moments in 2019: Storied career ends and a real-life Cinderella emerges

The LPGA is full of fairy-tale moments. Some are on the grandest stages involving the game’s biggest stars and some come out of nowhere.

There’s never a shortage of fairy tale moments on the LPGA. Some of them happen on the grandest of stages from the game’s biggest stars. Others come hurtling out of nowhere.

Breaking a record held by 15-time major champion Tiger Woods usually fast-tracks a player to this type of year-end list. There were grab-a-tissue moments and “are you kidding me?!” putts. A real-life Cinderella who just couldn’t stop smiling and a one-time villain who flipped the script on how she’ll be remembered in this game with one sensational Sunday.

So here they are, the top 10 moments on the LPGA in 2019:

Related: 10 best LPGA players of the decade

10. Dream team

Teammates Cydney Clanton (right) and Jasmine Suwannapura celebrate on the 18th green after winning the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational. (Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

A caddie brought Cydney Clanton and Jasmine Suwannapura together for the inaugural Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational, but Clanton believes it was more of a divine plan. One year ago, Clanton missed out on her full card by $8. After a closing 59, the Auburn grad had a two-year exemption and a spot in the Evian Championship and AIG Women’s British Open. Suwannapura’s invitation proved life-changing for her partner, who’d spent most of the year on the Symetra Tour.

Lexi Thompson finishes strong at CME, but her season’s not over

Lexi Thompson will play in the QBE Shootout, and Brooke Henderson says she’ll head home to Canada for a short break.

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Defending champion Lexi Thompson shot a final-round 68 to move up into a tie for sixth. She had five birdies after making a bogey on No. 3, and again looked more comfortable on the greens since switching back to the claw grip for the second round.

“It was a little shaky of a start, but I stayed strong,” she said. “(Caddie) Benji (Thompson) helped me out a lot out there with the struggle on the first few holes. Finished strong, so I’m very happy with my final round. I’ll be back here in two weeks. My season is not over.”

Thompson will be playing in the QBE Shootout, Greg Norman’s 12 two-person team event from Dec. 11-15 back at Tiburón, with Sean O’Hair. It will be the first time for the pairing. Thompson has played with Bryson DeChambeau once and Tony Finau the past two years.

“He has been pretty close with my brother,” she said. “He grew up with Nick and everything, so they’re close. I’ve met him once or twice, so not super close. He’s such a nice guy, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

Henderson shines

Brooke Henderson had her best finish in the CME Group Tour Championship. The Canadian who has a residence at Miromar Lakes was solo fifth after a 5-under 67 to get to 15 under, three behind winner Sei Young Kim on Sunday.

“It was a good round,” Henderson said. “Got off to a pretty good start. Front nine things were looking good. Would’ve liked to get a few more on the back, but overall really happy. Really happy with how 2019 went. Looking forward to the offseason, hopefully get a little better, and be ready for 2020.”

Henderson said she will spend a couple of months in Southwest Florida before heading back to Canada.

“I’m actually going to be here quite a lot, basically like two months. I’m only going home for a couple weeks,” she said.

Henderson was 3 under at the turn, but parred the first six holes on the back. That included what could’ve been a great birdie after hitting out of bushes.

“My stance wasn’t very comfortable,” she said. “It was even hard because of the long grass. I guess the individual grasses were sticking out over my ball so I couldn’t even really get my club behind it, so I was like hovering it like this far above it.

“But was able to hit a great shot. Yeah, unfortunately didn’t convert the birdie, but I was happy to walk away with par there.”

Korda power

Nelly Korda may not have pulled out the win, but Korda and her sister Jessica finished tied for third and tied for sixth, respectively.

“Obviously for me Solheim Cup was a highlight of the year,” Jessica Korda said. “So much fun to be a part of playing. Obviously not the finish that we all wanted, but incredible for Suzann (Pettersen, who made the winning putt for Europe).”

Alex shakes off bad back

An achy back wasn’t going to keep Marina Alex from trying to turn in another strong finish. Alex shot a 5 under 67 to tie for 11th.

After shooting an opening-round 68 to be just three shots off the lead, Alex had to fight a sore back that hampered her start in the second round. She was 3 over after seven holes and considered withdrawing.

“I kind of got unlucky, just woke up Friday and it just wasn’t feeling good but it’s getting better now but (Saturday) and Friday was definitely a struggle,” Alex said. “It was good to finish good today and stick with it.”

But the 26-year old found her rhythm, playing her final 11 holes Friday in 5 under to card a 70. She still was feeling the effects of her back Saturday, but still made it to 9 under with three birdies in her first six holes. She came home with four bogeys and a bogey to stay at 6 under heading into Sunday.

Sunday, Alex turned at just 1 under for the day, but caught fire on the back nine with five birdies but gave a shot back at the 18th to finish her tournament at 11 under par.

Alex missed only one fairway the entire week.

Chip shots

CME Group chairman and CEO Terry Duffy spent a few minutes with Terry Gannon in the booth during the live NBC broadcast Sunday. Duffy reiterated his reasons for raising the purse to $5 million and the winner’s check to a record $1.5 million.

“We think it’s the right thing to do,” Duffy said. “Half of my management team is comprised of women. I’m very big into making sure everybody gets equal opportunities. … I thought to myself ‘What can we possibly do to make the winner comparable to a PGA Tour victory?’ I thought that was important for us to do.”

Part-time Naples resident Steve Stricker, a former winner at the QBE Shootout played at Tiburón Golf Club, was spotted in the gallery with his family. Stricker is a vice-captain for Tiger Woods for next month’s Presidents Cup.

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Nichols: Nelly Korda has only scratched the surface

Beth Ann Nichols writes Nelly Korda easily answers the question, “Who’s the next big star in the LPGA?”

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NAPLES, Fla. – The first time Nelly Korda came out to watch big sister, Jessica, play in a professional event was the 2008 U.S. Women’s Open at Interlachen. Nelly remembers standing outside the clubhouse watching Annika Sorenstam drain an eagle putt on the 18th green. Morgan Pressel took her on a tour of the locker room. Somewhere there’s a picture of Nelly wearing her dad’s tall socks, rolled down, on a dewy morning in Edina, Minn.

“Yeah, she was a local,” said Jessica. “Like I said, she’s been out here as long as I have.”

Nelly was born into tennis but raised on golf. And she’s a kid no more. The 21-year-old ended the 2019 LPGA season as the top-ranked American and No. 3 in the world.

MORE: LPGA schedule, results | Gallery

For those who follow this tour closely, she’s the answer to the ever-popular question: Who’s the next big star?

That’s not wishful thinking, though Nelly certainly presents the complete package. Extraordinary genes, model-like looks, an enviable golf swing, firepower, intensity and an easy laugh. Despite all that she even seems relatable.

It’s all there.

“She’s not even close to playing her best golf yet,” said Stacy Lewis, the last American to reach No. 1. “The way golf courses are set up, they’re set up for the long bombers. They’re perfect for her.”

An unusually off ball-striking day in the final round of the CME Group Tour Championship kept an historic $1.5 million payday out of reach for young Korda, who fell short to Sei Young Kim.

Nelly Korda of the United States talks with her caddie before taking a drop on the ninth hole during the final round of the CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club on November 24, 2019 in Naples, Florida. (Sam Greenwood/Getty Images)

But her third full season on the LPGA brought a good deal of growth.

She won twice, deepening that rich Korda legacy at the Australian Open. Father, Petr, won the 1998 Australian Open tennis tournament and younger brother Sebastian claimed the 2018 Australian Open junior tennis title. Jessica’s first LPGA victory came at the 2012 Aussie Open.

Nelly successfully defended an LPGA title for the first time in Taiwan, calling it a new kind of pressure. She fed off it, winning in a playoff.

“I would still like to minimize my mistakes,” said Nelly of what can improve in 2020. She plans to take two weeks off before pressing on.

Beyond all the physical attributes, the intangibles are what make Nelly a most intriguing prospect as No. 1. And she’s not afraid to say that being No. 1 is her No. 1 goal.

Players have been known to shy away from that kind of declaration past a certain age.

“Nelly seems to have more here to me,” said Judy Rankin, patting her heart.

It’s not easy being the first. Jessica, 26, blazed the family trail, set the bar and Nelly followed. There was a support system already in place when Nelly started traveling the world.

She even had a built-in Solheim Cup partner, and the sisters went undefeated together at Gleneagles.

Nelly spent a lifetime chasing Jessica. Now it’s Nelly who’s lighting the fire and, in a way, making the tour feel more like home.

“I feel more comfortable,” said Jessica. “I have my little sis with me. Again, I don’t have to – it’s not that you’re searching for friends or anything like that. It’s just that with her, like, you don’t have to be anybody. You don’t have to worry that you’re going to say the wrong thing. You don’t have to – you just know.”

It’s another layer of intangibles that makes their future so bright. The tour can be a lonely place.

Megan Khang became close friends with Nelly when they played together in the Junior Solheim Cup. They often room together on the road, watching scary movies to unwind.

Khang describes Nelly as the perfect example of work hard, play hard. That quiet fire inside the ropes melts away when it’s time to leave the office.

“She’s gonna hate me,” said Khang, “but she’s super goofy.”

As Sei Young Kim posed on the 18th green with the largest check in women’s golf history, Nelly playfully jogged back to the Ritz Carlton with Jessica’s Mini Goldendoodle, Charlie.

Nelly has only scratched the surface of her potential. The sports world will find out soon enough.

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Sei Young Kim leads by 2 at CME after pep talk from Cristie Kerr

Kim punctuated her round by sticking a 6-iron to a foot on No. 18 to get a two-shot cushion over Germany’s Caroline Masson.

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NAPLES, Fla. – Sei Young Kim didn’t light it up in the second round of the CME Group Tour Championship like she did in the first round.

But at the end of the day Friday, the spotlight was still shining on the South Korean at the top.

One day after shooting a 7-under 65 at Tiburón Golf Club, Kim dropped out of the lead, but came back with three birdies in her last six holes and remained up by two going into the weekend.

“I shot pretty solid round today,” Kim said. “My shots and putting wasn’t anything bad today. I think I had a lot of chances for birdie today but I couldn’t make a couple.”

Kim punctuated her round by sticking a 6-iron to a foot on No. 18 to get that two-shot cushion over Germany’s Caroline Masson at 12-under 132. She got a pep talk from Cristie Kerr, who was working as a guest on-course analyst for the Golf Channel. After missing a birdie putt on No. 17, Kerr told her dinner would taste better if she had a good finish.

“I just said ‘Yeah I’m going to make the birdie,'” Kim said. “It came true.”

Masson had her own memorable finish, making a long downhill putt from just off the green for birdie. Masson had a 4-iron coming in that went long.

“Just went over the green just a little bit, which it’s not awful but it’s not easy coming through the fringe which is very grainy and downhill after that,” Masson said. “To be honest, I hit it a little bit hard. It was tracking, though. It was on line and hit the pin and went in.

“Just the little luck that you need sometimes, and I feel like I earned that this week giving myself chances, and once in a while you make one of these, and it really feels really good.”

The touted global tour is in evidence on the leaderboard with nine countries represented in the top 14 (which goes through 6 under). Five are Americans, and only two are South Koreans.

Saturday’s third round will be live on Golf Channel digital from 1 to 4 p.m., and on TV from 4 to 7 p.m. tape delayed.

Nelly Korda was feeling good after taking the lead with a 5-under front nine, but she stumbled, shooting 1 under on the back to finish at 9 under and is three behind. She fell into a tie for third with Canada’s Brooke Henderson.

“Definitely hit the brakes on the back,” Korda said. “Started missing my shots a little.”

Henderson, a Miromar Lakes resident, did just the opposite of Korda, draining a long birdie putt on No. 12 to kickstart a finish that featured five birdies in her last seven holes.

“I wasn’t hitting it that great, but then on the back nine I made a long putt on 12 and that really started to get things rolling, and I had a great crowd out there today, as well, which is always really fun,” Henderson said. “I started to make some birdies there, and it just seemed like I could make everything. So the last like six holes were really fun.”

Su Oh of Australia also jumped up the leaderboard and is in fifth at 8 under, one ahead of defending champion Lexi Thompson and Nelly Korda’s sister, Jessica, and China’s Yu Liu.

Jin Young Ko, who already has wrapped up the Player of the Year and No. 1 ranking, still is well back at 4 under, but remains in position to win the Vare Trophy for season-long stroke average.

The increase in the prize money – combining the $1 million Race to the CME Globe that existed previously with the $500,000 first-place check – and the doubling of the purse to $5 million has had the desired effect.

“It definitely feels like a U.S. Open or British Open,” Kim said. “It feels like a major tournament.”

With a major leaderboard going into the weekend.

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