Nelly Korda Set To Defend Title At Women’s PGA Championship At Congressional
BETHESDA, Md. (AP) — It was just one year ago that Nelly Korda received the Women’s PGA Championship, securing her very first important and achieving No. 1 in the planet.
“It feels like for good back, actually,” she stated.
A lot has occurred — both very good and lousy — since then for Korda. She also gained an Olympic gold medal previous year for the U.S., but she went through a four-thirty day period layoff this yr due to the fact of overall health difficulties and only lately returned. This 7 days she defends her title at the Women’s PGA at Congressional Country Club — on the lookout all set to contend after a near-victory in Michigan previous 7 days.
“I gave myself a chance last week,” she claimed. “If you instructed me that when I was laying in the ER, I would have absolutely been very content with that.”
Korda’s season was interrupted when she felt inflammation in her still left arm — a blood clot in the subclavian vein. She missed the year’s very first main in the California desert and and experienced surgical procedure in April.
It is uncommon for her to choose that significantly time away, but she’s been in great form since returning. She tied for eighth at the U.S. Women’s Open, then shed in a playoff at the LPGA Meijer Traditional final weekend.
“That was the longest time I think I’ve at any time absent without hitting a golf ball,” Korda explained. “At any time considering the fact that I commenced hitting, it truly is just been form of whole throttle, and I have been working towards rather a great deal. I have not taken additional than two or 3 times off given that then. I am just joyful to be out here playing competitive golf.”
Korda states it truly is been crucial to stay optimistic in the aftermath of her overall health concerns.
“I really feel like the much more you get pleasure from it out there, the far better you enjoy, the a lot less you get kind of ticked off, the less factors go incorrect, I guess, in a perception,” she claimed. “Due to the fact I have been back again, I have made guaranteed that I’ve had a very good attitude and enjoyed each and every 2nd of it, and I think that is contributed to my fantastic engage in.”
This week’s tournament, sponsored by KPMG, is doubling the dimension of its purse to $9 million, with the winner acquiring $1.35 million. The 6,894-yard, par-72 Congressional course could be softened up for the first round. Some thunder rolled by the region Wednesday, with more rain a chance right away.
“I consider KPMG and the PGA have just carried out a phenomenal job of receiving us on these astounding golf courses and really elevating the bar for women’s golf,” Brooke Henderson claimed. “Pretty grateful for that. I’ve claimed it a bunch, but I’m just super excited to be participating in below on this awesome golf system.”
Weather permitting, Korda is scheduled to tee off Thursday early morning with Henderson and Inbee Park. That team has put together to get this party 5 times. Park received 3 straight titles from 2013-15 right before Henderson finished that streak with a victory of her have in 2016.
Korda enters this tournament at No. 2 in the planet guiding Jin Youthful Ko of South Korea. Minjee Lee of Australia is 3rd, acquiring won the most current significant at the U.S. Women’s Open.
Jennifer Kupcho, who gained key Chevron Championship, also prevailed previous week in Michigan.
“It can be definitely fantastic assurance,” Kupcho said. “I feel hitting the ball so nicely very last 7 days is genuinely crucial. Primarily coming into a important.”
Korda has motive to feel self-confident too. She was portion of the 3-way tie that forced the playoff in Michigan. She appears wholesome adequate to contend at Congressional — and mentally all set soon after last year’s victory at the Women’s PGA.
“I do not consider I have changed a bunch in the past 12 months. In a feeling I believe I have just turn into a small little bit far more dependable and self-assured that I can get a important championship,” Korda mentioned. “I imagine I have just form of learned my way all over the major championship week and not to set also a lot force on myself and to take pleasure in each and every minute much too simply because a great deal of individuals emphasize significant championship months so substantially. Probably they place a minimal far too substantially force on by themselves when at the end of the working day you happen to be participating in with the very same women fairly considerably every single one 7 days.”
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