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BRADENTON, Fla. ― Taking part in in her yard appeared to agree with Nelly Korda.
In the meantime, Lydia Ko picked up proper the place she left off.
Korda, 25, the world’s No. 4-ranked participant, shook off a bogey on her first gap to publish six birdies and an eagle the remainder of the best way, good for a first-round rating of 6-under 65 and a tie for the lead within the LPGA Drive On Championship as Korda entered the clubhouse on the Bradenton Nation Membership.
However earlier than Thursday’s spherical was over, Korda may solely share the lead with Ko, the winner ultimately week’s season-opening Hilton Grand Holidays Event of Champions in Orlando. The 26-year-old from New Zealand, a 20-time winner on the LPGA Tour, carded six birdies, the ultimate one on the seventeenth gap, to tug even with Korda at minus-6 of the $1.75 million occasion, the primary full-field occasion of the season.
Proper behind Korda and Ko is Danish golfer Nanna Koerstz Madsen at 5-under. At minus-4 is the quartet of Sei Younger Kim, Chanettee Wannasaen, Minji Kang, and Ruoning Yin, the latter ranked second on this planet behind Lilia Vu. Six different gamers are at 3-under.
Lydia Ko performs her shot from the tenth tee in the course of the first spherical of the LPGA Drive On Championship at Bradenton Nation Membership in Bradenton, Florida. (Picture: Mike Ehrmann/Getty Photographs)
After carding a 5 on the par-4 No. 1 gap, Korda acquired into minus territory with birdies on 2 and three. Three extra birdies, plus an eagle on the par-5 sixth gap, despatched her into the flip at 5 below. A birdie on No. 10 moved her to six below, however a bogey on 15, adopted by a birdie on 17, saved Korda at 6 below into the clubhouse.
“A majority of my putts got here, birdies got here on the entrance 9 as we speak,” Korda stated. “Then form of hit some free pictures on the again 9 however nonetheless got here in 1-under par. Total fairly blissful in fairly robust situations.”
The wind, she stated, made the already troublesome greens even more durable.
“Yeah, the greens are very troublesome,” Korda stated. “Clearly when you will have form of gusty 20-mile-an-hour winds it undoubtedly makes it even a bit of more durable. So typically clubbing up two golf equipment and making an attempt to hit apunch shot to remain below the wind was key. Everyone seems to be coping with it, so simply acquired to take it because it goes, attempt to giveyourself as many alternatives as doable.”
In Orlando, Ko’s minus-14 whole was two strokes higher than American Alexa Pano. This got here after a 2023 season through which Ko was winless in 20 occasions.
“I performed actually stable, particularly within the first half of our spherical as we speak,” Ko stated afterward. “The wind was actually sturdy, and I had really seen the forecast yesterday that usually the wind you’ll assume would decide up all through the day, and it was really going to die down in direction of our again 9, so in methods I believe we acquired fairly fortunate.
“Final couple days it has been actually windy, and I believe the wind performs an enormous issue round right here,” she stated. “Among the holes, you already know, it would usually be an easy gap, however due to the wind it makes it much more troublesome. However simply making an attempt to feed off what was going effectively final week, and general I assumed I performed actually stable. Simply form of engaged on the identical issues. I did a 45-minute lesson with my coach on Monday simply ensuring that, hey, final week was nice, however I’m specializing in what’s forward and making an attempt to play the perfect golf I can this week.”
Madsen, the primary Dane to win an LPGA occasion when she captured the 2022 Honda LPGA Thailand, went 3 below on the again 9 to forge her 5-under spherical.
“Yeah, it was a very good day,” the 29-year-old stated. “I performed regular golf. Missed a inexperienced right here and there however made an up and down. My method was simply staying ― being a bit of affected person on the market as a result of it was a grind. I imply, it was numerous wind on the market, so hold it on the excessive facet of the opening.”
Madsen went a month final 12 months with out selecting up a membership.
“I imply, it’s form of totally different from 12 months to 12 months what I want, however this 12 months I actually wanted to place away the golf equipment,” she stated. “Didn’t really feel like I used to be there mentally and stuff, so I believe actually mentally actually helped me placing away the golf equipment for a short time and get a brand new perspective on issues.”
Amongst different favorites, Vu finds herself tied for 86th after carding a 3-over. Celine Boutier, ranked third on this planet, is tied for twenty fifth at 1-under, as is Lexi Thompson. And 37-year-old Paula Creamer is tied for 58th at 1 over.
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