ORLANDO, Fla. — Even the perfect gamers on this planet come up quick generally, even when placing forth their most interesting effort.
World No. 1 Nelly Korda suffered this destiny on Sunday on the Hilton Grand Holidays Event of Champions, the place a 7-under 65 was not sufficient ultimately. She started the day at 11-under par, made a flurry of birdies on the entrance 9, and shortly discovered herself close to the highest of the leaderboard when she made the flip.
However a brief miss for birdie on the par-4 tenth briefly stymied her momentum. But, hree birdies over her subsequent 5 holes adopted. By the point she walked off the fifteenth inexperienced, she held a share of the lead with A. Lin Kim at 17-under par.
“That is what I really like about golf, being within the hunt on a Sunday taking place the again 9,” Korda stated.
Since Kim performed within the group behind Korda, she nonetheless had the straightforward par-5 fifteenth to play. The South Korean simply birdied that gap, regaining the lead — one which she didn’t relinquish. Kim then made birdie putts on the sixteenth and 18th holes to cement herself because the champion, making Korda’s prolonged birdie on the final all however out of date.
“I simply tried to plot my means across the golf course,” Korda stated.
“It’s by no means good if you get too forward of your self and get antsy and anxious, so I simply actually took it one shot at time. That’s one thing my caddy Jason at all times jogs my memory of as nicely. You simply have to remain very current. I believe that’s one instrument that I take advantage of to essentially keep calm and current on the market.”
Regardless of making a ferocious run on Sunday, Korda seemed as cool and calm as ever. She by no means seemed tense, nor did she look harassed. She remained even-keeled all through.
“I used to be simply actually pondering of 1 shot at a time,” Korda added.
“I knew it was going to take a extremely good spherical at the moment to catch her.”
Korda virtually pulled it off, however sadly, it was not sufficient.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By means of. Observe him on X @jack_milko.
