November 17th 2024.
Nelly Korda, the talented golfer, returned to the course after an absence of almost two months and proved that she hasn't lost her touch. In fact, she showed off her skills by scoring five consecutive birdies on the back nine, securing her seventh LPGA Tour title of the year at The Annika tournament.
Initially, Korda had a rough start and wasn't feeling too optimistic when she made the turn at two over par, with Charley Hull leading the game. However, everything changed when she birdied the 11th hole and then went on to score four more in a row, ultimately winning by three shots.
The most heartwarming moment of the day came when Korda's younger brother, Sebastian, made a surprise appearance. Despite his busy tennis career, he made sure to be there to witness his sister's victory at Pelican Golf Club.
Korda has had an impressive year, tying the LPGA record for most consecutive wins earlier in the season. She has now become the first player since Yani Tseng in 2011 to win seven times in a single season. It's also worth noting that no other American has achieved this feat since Beth Daniel in 1990.
Interestingly, Korda has won four times this year when trailing in the final round. This consistency and determination have been key factors in her success on the tour.
Unfortunately for Hull, her hopes of a wire-to-wire victory were dashed as she couldn't keep up with Korda's birdie spree. Despite coming off a win at the Saudi Ladies Team International just two weeks ago, she could only manage a 1-over 71 and had to settle for a tie for second place with LPGA rookie Jin Hee Im and Weiwei Zhang.
Zhang's performance was particularly noteworthy as she moved up 24 spots in the Race to CME Globe standings, securing her spot for next year. This is crucial as only the top 60 players advance to the CME Group Tour Championship, which offers a grand prize of $4 million. In fact, Carlota Ciganda's three-place jump in the standings also secured her a spot in the season finale.
Korda's last tournament was on September 22 in Ohio, and she had been planning to play twice during the Asian swing. However, a minor neck injury forced her to take some time off and miss those tournaments. But she was determined to make it back in time for Pelican, where she had previously won twice in the past three years.
In an interview, Korda expressed her excitement about being back on the course after her injury break. She also mentioned how much she loves the thrill of being in contention and feeling the adrenaline rush on the back nine. Her win at The Annika has pushed her earnings for the year over $4 million, and she has a chance to add to that with a win at the Tiburon Golf Club next week.
It's worth noting that the rankings don't matter for the season finale, as all 60 players have an equal chance to win one of the biggest prizes in women's sports. For more updates on golf, check out AP golf at https://apnews.com/hub/golf.
[This article has been trending online recently and has been generated with AI. Your feed is customized.]
[Generative AI is experimental.]
