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THE WOODLANDS, Texas — Nelly Korda, who’s seeking to tie an LPGA Tour document together with her fifth straight win, shot a 4-under 68 on Thursday within the opening spherical of the Chevron Championship, leaving her two photographs behind chief Lauren Coughlin within the 12 months’s first main.
Coughlin shot a bogey-free 66 in windy circumstances at Carlton Woods, which is internet hosting the occasion for the second time.
The highest-ranked Korda is looking for her second main after successful the Girls’s PGA Championship in 2021. She may be part of Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sorenstam (2004-05) as the one gamers to win 5 consecutive LPGA occasions.
Korda mentioned she was battling fatigue from latest tournaments initially of her spherical. She bogeyed her first gap, the par-4 tenth.
“I (may) undoubtedly nonetheless really feel perhaps a bit little bit of tiredness, so it took me some time to get going,” she mentioned. “I felt the nerves undoubtedly firstly of the spherical. As soon as I made the flip, I used to be simply taking part in free golf.”
She made her first birdie on the par-4 14th gap, one thing she half-jokingly credited to a snack.
“I truly had an apple on 13, and that gave me truly a pleasant enhance,” she mentioned. “I felt loads higher after that. Possibly I ought to have apples extra usually.”
The 25-year-old completed with six birdies, including four in the final six holes.
“Two of them had been par 5s, so I bought to benefit from that with my size,” she mentioned. “Hit a very good tee shot, after which I used to be simply on the entrance of the inexperienced on 17, and the opposite one I used to be simply on the perimeter, too. I two-putted just about for birdie on these. Then I had wedge photographs in on the opposite two, too. Benefiting from my size and hitting good tee photographs.”
Marina Alex and Japan’s Minami Katsu additionally shot 68. Lydia Ko was one in all 5 gamers at 69.
The 31-year-old Coughlin, who performed in school at Virginia and has by no means gained on the LPGA Tour, made three birdies in a four-hole span from Nos. 2-5. She believes her sport has benefited from her latest resolution to make husband John Pond her full-time caddie.
“He is actually good at speaking by way of all the things after I need to get actually quick and decide actually shortly,” Coughlin mentioned. “He’s actually good at placing all of the work in, all the additional work, all the additional strolling … ensuring the technique is admittedly good and double checking all the things. However … he is at all times been actually good with how he talks to me and communicates what he thinks I have to do and the way I have to do it.”
Defending champion and world No. 2 Lilia Vu withdrew due to a again damage. She issued a press release on Instagram saying she had “extreme discomfort” in her again throughout warmups.
“I’ve been coping with a again damage for some time now,” Vu mentioned within the assertion. “Some days are higher than others, and in the present day was sadly not an excellent day. Throughout my regular warmup routine, I had extreme discomfort in my again and I felt that I couldn’t compete as much as my requirements and made the choice to withdraw from the match forward of my tee time.”
She added that she was returning residence to see her medical doctors and decide the following steps.
Later within the day, final 12 months’s runner-up Angel Yin withdrew due to an damage after taking pictures 78.
A win by Ko would put her within the LPGA Corridor of Fame. She gained the Hilton Grand Holidays Match of Champions in January for her twentieth LPGA title.
The 26-year-old New Zealander admitted that she nonetheless will get nervous earlier than tournaments regardless of all her expertise and success.
“It does not matter what occasion we’re taking part in or what circumstances, if you’re youthful you need to get away from the nerves,” Ko mentioned. “To some extent so long as you possibly can management it the nerves are good for you and also you’re in a position to excel and get the adrenaline to hit some photographs that you could be not be capable to execute if you’re simply practising.”
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