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Nelly Korda celebrated her second playoff victory of the 12 months with an In-N-Out burger and “animal type” fries as she drove east from Palos Verdes Estates, California, to the suburbs of Phoenix. The World No. 1 break up the six-hour drive with fellow tour participant Olivia Cowan after draining a 15-foot birdie putt on the primary further gap in opposition to Ryann O’Toole on the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship 4 days in the past.
At this week’s inaugural Ford Championship at Seville Golf and Nation Membership in Gilbert, Arizona, Korda faces a stacked discipline as she tries to turn into the primary participant since Ariya Jutanugarn to win three consecutive begins on the LPGA. Jutanugarn’s scorching streak eight years in the past included a Ricoh Ladies’s British Open title.
“First win as an auntie,” beamed Korda, whose older sister Jessica is on maternity go away. “My mother and father say I attempt to kill them each single time. I don’t purposely attempt to, however, yeah.”
9 out of the highest 10 gamers on this planet are within the Ford discipline and all 5 winners from 2024. It’s the primary time Korda has been in the identical event as Lydia Ko because the two buddies squared off in opposition to one another in January in Korda’s hometown of Bradenton, Florida, on the LPGA Drive On Championship in January. Korda beat Ko on the primary gap of a playoff, denying her entry into the LPGA Corridor of Fame. The celebratory champagne and flowers have been left sitting by the 18th inexperienced.
Lydia Ko smiles on the 18th inexperienced after successful the 2024 Hilton Grand Holidays Event of Champions at Lake Nona Golf & Nation Membership. (Picture: Julio Aguilar/Getty Photos)
Ko wants just one extra level to achieve the 27 required to enter the LPGA shrine. She went into the ultimate spherical of the Blue Bay LPGA final month tied for the lead in China, however in the end took a share of fourth as American Bailey Tardy bulldozed the sphere with a final-round 65 to win by 4 and declare her first LPGA title.
“I don’t assume I go to sleep or get up in a day eager about the Corridor of Fame,” mentioned Ko. “I feel folks round me give it some thought greater than I do. To be sincere, final 12 months I assumed rather a lot about it, simply since you’re so shut.”
Ko went on to say that being within the LPGA Corridor of Fame was by no means an enormous aim as a result of she didn’t assume she was able to it. Humble phrases from a participant who rewrote LPGA report books earlier than she may legally drive a automobile.
Korda mentioned she’s been good buddies with “Lyds” for years due to the friendship that already existed between Ko and her older sister Jessica. Although Ko’s time on tour predates Nelly, she nonetheless had a front-row seat to Ko’s brilliance as she adopted Jessica’s profession. Korda, 25, is just one 12 months youthful than Ko, who first gained on the LPGA at age 15.
“I feel she’s tremendous resilient,” mentioned Nelly. “I do know in golf and sports activities, there are such a lot of ups and downs, and he or she’s at all times bounced again.”
This season, Ko leads the tour in each bogey avoidance and scrambling, two statistical classes that she ranked exterior of the highest 50 one 12 months in the past, her worst season on tour.
The week earlier than Korda gained in entrance of a hometown crowd, Ko gained fairly actually the place she lives and practices at Lake Nona Nation Membership on the season-opening Hilton Grand Holidays Event of Champions in Orlando. It was her twentieth profession LPGA title.
Ko/Korda showdowns are large for a tour in want of star energy.
4 of Korda’s 10 profession titles have are available in playoffs, and he or she’s now overwhelmed Ko in two of them. The victory moved Korda forward of Laura Davies on the all-time profession cash listing to No. 28 with $9,523,989. Ko ranks fifth on that listing at $17,438,722. This week’s purse of $2.25 million pays out $337,500 to the winner.
As Ko appears to be like to turn into solely the thirty fifth participant to enter the LPGA Corridor of Fame and solely the twenty fifth to earn 27 HOF factors, Korda, who took off seven weeks in between her two wins this 12 months, mentioned she by no means even thinks about making it within the HOF. She at the moment has 12 factors.
“If I get there, then nice,” mentioned Korda, “however that’s not one thing that I placed on my aim sheet.
“As I mentioned, I feel small targets then ultimately result in your greater targets.”
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