Nelly Korda was dynamic on Day 1 at Robert Trent Jones Golf Membership, profitable two full factors in a dominant efficiency for Crew USA.
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GAINESVILLE, Va. — As Nelly Korda lined up her method shot on the par-5 14th at Robert Trent Jones Golf Membership on Friday afternoon, the result of her four-ball match was in little doubt. At 5 up with 5 holes to play, she and Megan Khang had been all however assured of a victory. The one suspense left was how Korda would punctuate her day’s play.
What adopted was an exclamation level.
Korda lofted a hybrid excessive and out to the fitting of the tucked pin and watched as her ball drifted again towards the flagstick. Her ball dropped from the sky proper subsequent to the opening, taking just a few hops earlier than stopping 12 toes behind the cup. A couple of moments later, she rolled within the eagle putt — her second in three holes — to shut out her 6-and-4 win over Georgia Corridor and Leona Maguire.
“We’ve acquired world No. 1,” U.S. captain Stacy Lewis stated. “And it’s very useful when she performs nicely.”
Korda has been ranked as the highest participant within the girls’s recreation for everything of 2024 — and on Day 1 on the Solheim Cup, she performed prefer it.
Over the course of two periods — foursomes within the morning and four-balls within the afternoon — Korda gained two full factors for Crew USA. She and teammate Alisen Corpuz dispatched of Charley Hull and Esther Henseleit 3 and a couple of within the first match of the day earlier than Korda returned within the leadoff spot for the afternoon session en path to a 6-2 American benefit after Day 1.
In keeping with the stats crew for Crew USA, Korda gained 7.5 strokes on the sector throughout her afternoon four-ball match during which she went eight underneath by 14 holes.
“It’s the best [the stats team has] ever seen a single session that they’ve labored,” Lewis stated. “Fairly spectacular this afternoon.”
Of the 30 holes Korda performed on Friday, she gained 16. In keeping with Elias Sports activities Bureau, that quantity is probably the most holes gained over a single day within the Solheim Cup since not less than 2015. The second-most in that timeframe was 15, by her sister, Jessica, in 2019.
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Korda was particularly dynamic on the 4 par-5s in the course of the two Friday periods as she gained every of the eight she performed on the day, the final of which was the eagle on the 14th that despatched the gang on the encompassing amphitheater right into a frenzy.
“I believe you sort of thrive off of the crowds,” Korda stated.
When she and Khang teed off of their four-ball match, they made it a degree to interact the spectators and set the tone for the People within the afternoon. The most effective-friend duo did that — after which some — by dancing, cheering and birdieing their method across the course all afternoon lengthy.
“To sort of get the gang going within the afternoon was so, so enjoyable and one thing that I’ll bear in mind for the remainder of my life,” Korda stated. “It simply places like somewhat little bit of an exclamation level attending to do it with Megan too within the afternoon.”
Added Khang: “Nelly and I, our friendship goes again to Junior Solheim Cup days — that’s how we acquired actually shut. Ever since that pairing again then I do know we wished to play on the precise Solheim Cup workforce as companions.”
Korda and Khang performed on the profitable facet of that Junior Solheim Cup workforce again in 2015, however appearances as teammates within the precise Solheim Cup haven’t been fairly so fruitful. The duo has not performed on a profitable workforce of their three cups collectively, most not too long ago final summer time at Finca Cortesin as Crew USA tied with Crew Europe.
“We acquired some unfinished enterprise,” Korda stated.
If there have been ever a 12 months for Crew USA to experience its thoroughbred famous person to victory, it’s this one. Korda’s 2024 season has been a historic one as she notched six wins, together with a serious, over the primary 5 months of the 12 months. And though she’s not gained a event since early summer time, her play on the opening day of the Solheim Cup reminded us that when she’s hovering at prime velocity, there’s no one who can catch her.
