CARNOUSTIE, SCOTLAND (REUTERS) - World number one and Olympic champion Nelly Korda was one of three co-leaders after the first round of the British Women's Open at Carnoustie on Thursday (Aug 19). The American carded eight birdies on her way to a five-under 67 to top the leaderboard with Sweden's Madelene Sagstrom who dropped a shot at the 18th. South Korea's Kim Sei-young joined them after her round of 67 featured only one bogey. Korda is bidding to continue a sensational year having won the PGA Championship and Olympic gold, although she admitted after her round she was feeling a little jaded. "Honestly we didn't have much wind today. It was very chilly in the morning but other than that the wind kept calm and I took advantage of it," Korda told Sky Sports. "I am a little tired but I will still give it my all these next few days. I will go home next week and sleep in my bed for the first time in six weeks so that'll be nice." Korda's compatriot Andrea Lee, ranked 143rd in the world, finished in a chasing group on four under with England's Georgia Hall, Scotland's Louise Duncan and Yuka Saso of the Philippines. Last year's winner Sophia Popov struggled around the turn with a double-bogey at the 10th hole but found a couple of birdies to finish the day with a level-par 72.
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Nelly Korda won the Women's PGA Championship on Sunday (June 27) to capture her first major title and become the first American since 2014 to seize the world number one ranking. The 22-year-old daughter of retired Czech tennis star Petr Korda made two eagles in outdueling compatriot Lizette Salas down the stretch for a three-stroke triumph. "I've put in a lot of work," Korda said. "And to finally get three wins under my belt this year and a major championship, I don't even have words, honestly." Korda fired a four-under-par 68 to finish 72 holes on 19-under 269 at Atlanta Athletic Club with Salas on 272 after a closing 71. She will jump from third to first in Monday's new rankings, overtaking South Korea's number one Ko Jin-young and second-ranked Park In-bee. Korda will become the first American atop the rankings since Stacy Lewis in October 2014 and only the third US player atop the list since it began in 2006 after Lewis and Cristie Kerr. Korda became the first American to win a major women's golf title since Angela Stafford at the 2018 Evian. "This is something I've worked for since I was 14," Korda said. "I wanted to win a major since I played in my first one. "To finally get it done here in Atlanta with such an amazing crowd, it was something special." South Korea's Kim Hyo-joo and Italy's Giulia Molinaro shared a distant third on 278 with Thailand's Patty Tavatanakit and American Danielle Kang sharing fifth on 280. Korda claimed her third LPGA victory of the year after Boca Rio in February and last week at the LPGA Meijer Classic. "I had a great week last week and carried the momentum into this week," Korda said. "I just played really well this week." Salas, whose only LPGA victory came in 2014 at Kingsmill, matched her best major showing, a runner-up effort at the 2019 Women's British Open. Korda birdied the par-4 third to grab a one-stroke lead over Salas, then hit a 7-wood 243 yards to within inches of the cup for a tap-in eagle at the par-5 fifth to reach 18-under. Salas opened with a pair of par saves before adding an eight-foot birdie putt at the fifth and a tap-in birdie at six to pull within one of Korda, who was battling nerves. "I wanted to keep a level head and tell myself there was a lot of golf to be played and take it one shot at a time," Korda said. More on this topic Related Story Golf: Nelly Korda fires 63 to grab Women's PGA Championship lead Related Story Golf: Confident Lizette Salas leads at Women's PGA Championship Turning point at 12th The turning point came at the par-5 12th, when Korda dropped her second shot within five feet of the cup and Salas sent her third into a bunker. Salas blasted out 15 feet beyond the hole and missed her par putt while Korda rolled in her eagle putt to reach 20-under par, the three-shot swing giving Korda a four-stroke edge. Korda sank a long birdie putt at the 14th to reach 21-under, stretching her lead to five strokes with four holes remaining. Korda was a threat to break the record for the lowest 72-hole score in women's major golf history, the 21-under 263 by South Korea's Chun In-gee at the 2016 Evian Championship. But after a lengthy wait at the par-3 15th, Korda hit her tee shot into water and went on to make double bogey, ending her run of 49 consecutive holes without a bogey and trimming her lead to three. Korda responded with three closing pars, the last on a long putt when the victory was secure.
MIAMI (AFP) - Danielle Kang produced a battling display to hold on to a two-shot lead after a ferocious challenge from Jessica Korda in the third round of the LPGA Tournament of Champions on Saturday (Jan 23). Kang, who is yet to drop a shot all week, relied on a red-hot putter to card an eight-under-par 63 at Four Season Golf & Sports Club in Lake Buena Vista, Florida - her third straight bogey-free round. The 28-year-old Californian's outing included a crucial save on the par-five 17th, when she recovered brilliantly after hitting her second into the water. She followed that with her eighth birdie of the day on the 18th to finish on 21 under after 54 holes, two clear of Jessica Korda, who earlier erupted over the back nine for an incredible 11-under-par 60. Kang was under pressure from both Korda sisters Nelly and Jessica - the daughters of former Czech tennis ace Petr Korda - throughout an absorbing third round. But the world number five was able to conjure birdies or saves at key times to stay just ahead of the chasing pack. The American, who started the day with a two-shot lead, saw her advantage evaporate early on after Nelly Korda opened with three straight birdies to grab a share of the lead. But Kang, who had birdied the first, then made birdies on the 4th, 6th and 7th holes to reach the turn at four under, 17 under overall. Nelly Korda, playing in the group ahead of Kang, then birdied the 10th and 11th to move within two of the lead. But Kang rolled in an eight-foot birdie putt on the 10th before sinking a 10-footer on the 11th to take a three-shot lead. A costly bogey from Nelly Korda on the 15th - fluffing a tap-in for par after narrowly missing a birdie chance - allowed Kang to take a four-shot lead after she promptly grabbed her seventh birdie of the day. But just as Kang appeared to have taken a stranglehold on the third round, Jessica Korda erupted. A brilliant eagle three on the par-five 17th left her two off the lead before a long birdie putt on the 18th put her on 19 under. Korda's charge began on the back nine as she rattled off seven birdies and an eagle to close out only the fifth 60 in LPGA Tour history. Younger sister Nelly finished the day in third on 15 under after a 67, two ahead of South Korea's Chun In-gee, who is on 13 under after a 67. Canada's Brooke Henderson is fifth on 12 under after a six-under-par 65.