LPGA star Nelly Korda again in competition at AIG Ladies’s Open

The World No. 1 is again within the combine at St. Andrews.

Nelly Korda fired a 4-under 68 on day one to soar up the leaderboard and into competition on the AIG Ladies’s Open, the season’s ultimate main. She is one stroke behind taking part in accomplice Charley Hull, who leads by herself after capturing a 5-under 67.

“It was good,” Korda assessed.

“It was windy, however particularly initially to the center. However within the final three or 4 holes, it died down and was capable of be a bit of bit extra aggressive. However total, I believe our group had an excellent day.”

Forty-mile-per-hour gusts blanketed St. Andrews, main some gamers to have nervousness and pounding heads. But, as Korda defined, these winds started to subside in the direction of the top of her spherical when she made three birdies over her ultimate 5 holes.

“You possibly can’t win a event on day one, however you’ll be able to undoubtedly lose it,” Korda mentioned.

“So I’ve put myself into a very good place, and hopefully, I can preserve trending in the suitable path.”

No person is aware of that mantra higher than Korda. She made a jaw-dropping 10 on the twelfth gap at Lancaster Nation Membership through the first spherical of the U.S. Ladies’s Open in Could. After profitable six of seven occasions, Korda went on to miss the lower that week, a harbinger of issues to return. A pair of missed cuts adopted, after which she tied for twenty sixth on the Amundi Evian Championship, her most up-to-date LPGA begin. Korda then tied for twenty second on the Olympics in Paris.

However now Korda has returned to the entrance web page of the leaderboard, the place she made a pleasant dwelling earlier within the 12 months. She additionally has a essential stat working in her favor.

Photograph by Michael Reaves/Getty Pictures

In keeping with golf statistician Justin Ray, Korda has opened a event with a 68 or higher three different occasions this season. In every of these cases, Korda gained the LPGA Drive On Championship, the Ford Championship, and the Chevron Championship. Maybe one other victory is in retailer for her this week, then.

However, Korda, one of many quickest gamers on the planet when it comes to tempo of play, needed to endure an almost six-hour spherical on Thursday. The winds pressured gamers to ponder and again off shot after shot, leaving some teams to attend on tee packing containers for so long as half-hour. The glacial tempo of play often impacts Korda, however the most effective participant on the planet persevered by way of all of it, remaining affected person within the second and capitalizing on alternatives down the stretch.

“I already know going into the spherical that the climate shouldn’t be going to be good, and it was going to be sluggish out right here. I already prepped myself going into it,” Korda defined.

“There are some days if you’re taking part in properly and, clearly, it’s flowing a bit of higher, and if you’re taking part in dangerous, you get a bit of bit extra pissed off. However immediately I simply tried to remain actually current and to have a very good angle with the climate that we had.”

Korda had each proper to have a very good angle, contemplating everybody in her group conquered the circumstances. Together with Hull robust’s efficiency, reigning champion Lilia Vu turned in a stellar displaying of her personal, carding a 3-under 69.

So, if Korda can preserve this mindset, she’s going to little doubt be a part of the story at St. Andrews on Sunday and maybe make historical past at one of the historic locations on the planet.

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By way of. Be sure you take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You possibly can comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as properly.