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GILBERT, Ariz. — Nelly Korda’s final win was seven days in the past. Lexi Thompson’s winless streak spanned 1,696 days. Korda was in search of a 3rd win in her final three begins. Thompson was looking for to snap a winless streak of 77 tournaments, courting again to June 2019.
Thompson’s drought will proceed for a minimum of two extra weeks, as she’s skipping the following occasion in Las Vegas with the Chevron Championship coming in two weeks.
As for Korda, her subsequent In-N-Out celebration for successful should wait as nicely. She mentioned she celebrated after her win every week in the past in Los Angeles with a burger and a few “animal type” fries however gained’t benefit from the meal after her third straight win Sunday within the 2024 Ford Championship, noting that each one the In-N-Outs within the Phoenix space are closed for Easter Sunday.
So how will she have a good time victory No. 11?
“With an attractive 5 hour drive to Vegas,” she quipped. “Really, I went to a espresso store this morning and their baked items regarded actually good and I acquired myself an almond croissant for the street. I’m excited about that and that’s making me very pleased.”
What additionally makes her pleased is successful and Korda has put her title within the LPGA historical past books together with her newest victory. It’s her third win in as many begins, and she or he’s the primary to win three LPGA begins earlier than April 1 since Yani Tseng in 2012 and she or he’s the primary American since 1980, and simply the fifth ever, to win thrice earlier than April Idiot’s day.
It was fairly every week for Korda, who by no means held the outright lead on the Ford until the again 9 Sunday. As soon as she did, she put it in a stranglehold, ending at 20 below and successful by two photographs. She recorded 23 birdies this week, fourth most within the subject, and had simply 5 bogeys. She hit 57 of 72 greens in regulation, tied for fifteenth within the subject.
She has a fast turnaround to the match-play occasion in Vegas which begins Wednesday. She’s additionally being cautious to not look forward to the primary main of 2024, the Chevron Championship, in lower than two weeks.
“Simply so one by one,” she mentioned. “I’ve been an expert golfer since 2016, and if you get forward of your self, it’s simply by no means going to be optimistic. So I’m going to take it one match at a time. Keep very current. It’s labored fairly nicely thus far. Generally it’s a lot tougher than others. Your self-expectations, the expectations round you, too. I’m going to attempt to keep in my very own little bubble and see the way it goes.”
The distinction in match success between Korda and Thompson served because the backdrop on the again 9 Sunday at Seville Nation Membership, with the 2 battling one another in addition to the chilly and rain, After two days of brilliant sunny skies, the third spherical noticed 35 mph winds. Match officers on Saturday night time moved tee occasions up two hours and golfers wakened Sunday to chilly temps and a gentle downpour of spring rain.
A four-way tie for the lead at 17 below gave approach to Korda holding the solo lead for the primary time all week after a second straight birdie on the thirteenth gap. Thompson would reclaim a tie for the lead at 18 below after a birdie on the par-3 14th gap. Korda would nudge out in entrance as soon as once more on 16, after she nearly jarred her second shot on the driveable par 4, the ball bouncing thrice earlier than rolling simply over the sting of the cup. A birdie would get her to 19 below.
.@NellyKorda is No. 1 for a purpose 🙌
Nelly birdies for the solo lead with simply two holes left to go 😤 pic.twitter.com/WimuZPK0Pf
— LPGA (@LPGA) March 31, 2024
Hira Naveed joined the get together late, as she went 4 below over a six-hole stretch from No. 12 by way of 17. The primary LPGA participant of Pakistani descent, Naveed was ranked 648th on this planet coming in and completed solo second at 18 below. However it wasn’t sufficient to threaten the lead of Korda.
Thompson’s run, in the meantime, got here to an finish on the brief par-4 sixteenth. With driver in hand, she pushed her tee shot proper and right into a lake. She took a drop within the desert after which hit her third on the inexperienced however two-putted for bogey. She then missed a brief par putt on 17 for one more bogey, and she or he was all of the sudden three again of Korda with one gap to go.
Lexi Thompson performs her shot from the fourth tee in the course of the last spherical of the 2024 Ford Championship at Seville Golf and Nation Membership in Gilbert, Arizona. (Picture: Christian Petersen/Getty Pictures)
Korda closed out her day going up-and-down from simply off the inexperienced on 18 for one last birdie, this one getting her to twenty below and with few pursuers left chasing, safely within the clubhouse. She mentioned she had some soup in an effort to heat up a bit whereas she waited.
Korda would later hoist the trophy to make it her eleventh profession victory official. She’s now tied on the all-time record with Jane Geddes, Jiyai Shin and Thompson, who has 4 solo seconds and 4 ties for second and Sunday’s tie for third since her final victory.
Lydia Ko got here into the week one level away from clinching a spot within the LPGA Corridor of Fame. A win on the Ford would have given the 26-year-old the twenty seventh and last level wanted for entry. Ko tied for eleventh at 15 below and a pair of 70s over the weekend.
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