Nelly Korda returned to the highest of the Rolex Girls’s World Golf Rankings in dramatic vogue.
She received the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship in a sudden-death playoff, defeating American Ryann O’Toole on the primary playoff gap with a birdie.
It was an up-and-down spherical for Korda, who claimed her tenth profession LPGA victory and her second of the season. Korda defeated Lydia Ko in a playoff on the LPGA Drive On Championship in January, which additionally occurred to be her final begin.
“It’s positively not simple coming again after a protracted break like that, probably not realizing the place your recreation is,” Korda stated after her last spherical 2-under 69.
“I fought actually exhausting the final three days. The weekend was brutal, and right now was powerful. That’s the great thing about the sport. It’s enjoyable to play in these circumstances and be a little bit bit extra inventive out right here.”
The circumstances at Palos Verdes Golf Membership in Southern California on Sunday have been undesirable. Thirty-mile-per-hour winds and temperatures within the 50s created troublesome conditions all through the day.
It’s no surprise Korda solely made seven pars throughout her last spherical. She additionally made 5 birdies and 5 bogeys and had an eagle on the par-5 14th, which proved very important.
“Truthfully, I didn’t actually begin feeling nervous till I made that eagle putt,” Korda defined afterward.
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“I didn’t actually know what was happening, how the group behind me was doing. It was so windy, and I used to be caught up in attempting to regulate my ball flight. As soon as I made the eagle, I bought perhaps a little bit nervous, the place I sort of bought a little bit forward of myself, and I began making some errors on the final couple of holes. Eagle, bogey, birdie, bogey, bogey.”
Korda tends to make issues attention-grabbing, however she nonetheless had an opportunity to win in regulation. She airmailed the 18th inexperienced, which led to a tough up-and-down. Korda couldn’t save par, and made bogey—her third dropped shot over her last 4 holes.
“I vented to my coach on the placing inexperienced after which he requested me if I’m able to be optimistic,” Korda stated on what she did instantly earlier than the playoff.
“It took a little bit bit, after which I used to be prepared. After which we talked a little bit bit, laughed a little bit bit. He’s actually good at simply cracking jokes, and typically I simply give him a pity chuckle. It’s normally fairly good. After which, yeah, simply once I walked to 18… I informed [myself] that I can nonetheless win, so simply maintain my head excessive.”
This dialog calmed Korda down, as she caught her strategy on the primary playoff gap—the 18th—to a dozen toes away.
Korda then drained it for the win.
She is now the top-ranked participant on the earth, however she actually by no means fails to entertain. And that’s good for the ladies’s recreation, which continues to develop exponentially.
Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying Via. Remember to take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You may comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as properly.