World No 1 Nelly Korda made an impressive return to LPGA Tour action after a two-month absence to finish the opening round of The Annika within two shots of the lead. Korda shot a bogey-free seven-under par round of 63 at Pelican Golf Club in Florida, following her last competitive outing at the Solheim Cup in September.
Korda Trails Co-Leaders in Florida
Korda trails Japan’s Minami Katsu and Korean Hye-Jin Choi by two shots, after both co-leaders carded rounds of 61. Fellow American Lindy Duncan also sits ahead of Korda on eight-under par after making a hole-in-one during her round of 62. Korda stated that it felt nice to experience those competitive feelings again, especially while playing alongside Choi. Korda has already clinched the LPGA player of the year award based on points and can qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame with a victory in either of the final two events of the season.
Choi maintained strong form following a successful Asia swing that included two runner-up finishes, hitting 17 greens in regulation and recording birdies on half of her holes. Katsu played in the afternoon session and secured three consecutive birdies late in her round to join Choi at the top, also finishing bogey-free as she pursues her first LPGA title of the year. Allisen Corpuz matched Duncan by carding a hole-in-one on the par-three third hole, ultimately finishing the round at three-under par.
Strong European Openings
Denmark’s Nicole Broch Estrup and Spain’s Julia Lopez Ramirez lead the European contingent, sitting in a group of four players tied for fifth place at six-under par. England’s Lottie Woad and Ireland’s Leona Maguire joined a group of 11 players tied for ninth on five-under par, which also features Spain’s Carlota Ciganda. Charley Hull finished one shot further back at four-under par.
Korda explained that she required a break following the Solheim Cup due to mental exhaustion. She typically bypasses the Asian tournaments and focuses on the concluding events in Florida. Korda holds four victories this season, though she has not won since claiming her first US Women’s Open title in June. She currently leads the Race to CME Globe standings ahead of next week’s Tour Championship. Additionally, a strong performance this week could allow Korda to surpass tournament host Annika Sorenstam on the career money list. Round two of The Annika continues on Friday.
