Nelly Korda
Getty Photographs
Our St. Andrews correspondent Sean Zak is on the AIG Ladies’s Open this week. Right here he checks in with stateside colleague Dylan Dethier on Nelly Korda’s lead, Lexi Thompson’s rally, one rookie’s unusual DQ and extra.
Dylan Dethier, GOLF senior author: Hey there, Sean. We’re again.
Sean Zak, additionally a GOLF senior author: We’re again!
DD: Day 2 at St. Andrews and there’s a lot happening. Stars within the combine. Stars going house. Stars barely hanging on for some miraculous made cuts. Let’s get proper to it.
SZ: Hit me.
DD: You had been on the market early with the high-powered grouping of Nelly Korda, Charley Hull and Lilia Vu. These are additionally the highest three names on the leaderboard! (Korda’s eight beneath, whereas Hull and Vu are T2 at 5 beneath.) I don’t know if I’ve ever seen that in a second spherical at a serious. You wrote about Nelly’s spherical right here, however inform me in a single sentence: How has she constructed a three-shot lead?
SZ: To reply that, I feel again to the ultimate spherical of the Olympics. She walked from the driving vary and a fan shouted out, “Hey Nelly, nice day to be a ball-striker!” They had been proper. It was windy, the course was agency, it was robust as hell. And although it didn’t work out for her that day, it’s working for her right here. After that spherical, she pointed to some shaky ball-striking. This week? To this point, her ball-striking has been unbelievable.
That’s who Nelly Korda is. By no means stepping into hassle. Hitting it to 30 toes when the shot calls for it. By no means three-putting. There’s plenty of consideration paid to her putter proper now, however I feel her key to success is avoiding the pot bunkers and carving elegant iron photographs into this fixed cross-wind. A whole lot of girls are uncomfortable out right here, however she’s made it look easy. That’s multiple sentence, however you get the concept.
DD: If one sentence is nice then I suppose extra is best. Who’s the gang favourite: Korda or Hull?
SZ: Can I cross? Solely as a result of I feel it’s each. Lilia Vu is the defending champion and in addition of their group and it’s clear that a lot of the love goes to Nelly and Charley. Should you’re demanding I select, I feel there’s a bit extra electrical energy to Hull, however Nelly has the lead and sooner or later the gang will get down with an all-timer successful at an all-time place.
Getty Photographs
DD: Linn Grant had among the finest rounds of the afternoon happening Friday (she reached 4 beneath earlier than making double at 17 and ending with 71). Grant doesn’t simply have one of many recreation’s finest swings — she additionally broke out some high-tops and large white fuzzy earmuffs. Athletic stylish meets, I dunno, winter EDM live performance.
Are you in or out on this look?
SZ: I actually like Linn Grant however I actually don’t find out about this. Immediately was higher than yesterday, when she was rocking the recent pink sweater beneath, however after I see the high-tops I wrestle to see something besides boxing footwear. In equity, it’s a full-on bout with Mom Nature at this level, so if the Code Chaos grips are working for her, why not?
DD: I used to be right here questioning if we’d be watching the ultimate main championship spherical of Lexi Thompson’s retirement season. Then she began making birdies. Then she blocked one O.B. at No. 17. However then she rallied to make the minimize. Any notable sights and sounds from Lexi this week? And the way spectacular was that night rally?
SZ: I feel a spherical like Lexi’s immediately is precisely why her retirement is will stay a bit puzzling for a while. She could also be in search of extra from life than simply golf tournaments, however there’s one thing in there that also provides as much as rivalry, as now we have seen this summer season. I walked along with her for a very good bit Thursday and she or he appears identical to the Lexi we’ve lengthy identified. She has such energy contained in the ropes, beating so most of the finest gamers on this planet, and she or he has such energy and beauty outdoors the ropes, too, when she’s round followers. After making the minimize, I’m curious if she’ll pause for any kind of wave on the Swilcan Bridge this weekend.
6-hour rounds?! 4 teams on a tee?! How Ladies’s Open was slog
DD: LPGA rookie Ana Pelaez Trivino was disqualified on Friday after her caddie used a distance-measuring system on each No 10 and No. 18. Sean, you’ve caddied a couple of rounds on the PGA Tour, the place rangefinders aren’t allowed throughout competitors. I do know the LPGA makes use of rangefinders, however nonetheless — you may’t do this! How does this occur?! Are you sympathetic?
SZ: Sameness, perhaps? Like rolling into each event and seeing a few of the similar notes from event officers and the identical guidelines on the cork board and the identical announcement on tee packing containers. You get lulled into a way of sameness, I suppose? I’m actually undecided the way it occurs, however my intuition is to give you excuses for my fellow looper. We caddies stand collectively. It is best to know this.
DD: I stand with you. When one caddie screws up all of us do. Lastly: With 36 holes to play and the lead at eight beneath par, how far again is just too far again?
SZ: I’m going to maintain rather a lot extra individuals in play for this than you’d assume. The very best participant on this planet is main by three, however she’s had a really bizarre summer season and hasn’t discovered hassle but this week. So let’s say the lead is actually simply 5 beneath. I feel 5 beneath may win this event, so anybody who shoots consecutive 69s from the one over par crowd will get right into a playoff. Anybody worse than one over is out of the operating.
DD: Excellent news for us: we’re nonetheless even par. Thanks mate. Completely happy Friday.
