LPGA 2021 - Drive On Championship - Golden Ocala, Round One
Nelly Korda in a tie for the lead, Katherine Kirk just two strokes back
With a bogey-free, 5-under par 67 in the first round of the LPGA Drive On Championship presented by Volvik at Golden Ocala, Nelly Korda has shot under par in nine straight rounds to open the 2021 season, and owns 10 consecutive under-par rounds dating back to the 2020 CME Group Tour Championship.
“I’m more about consistency,” said Korda, who hit 12 greens in regulation this afternoon and 10 of 14 fairways. “I know there are going to be bad rounds and you can't play perfect every single round, but the more you minimize your mistakes and more consistent you get with your swing, figuring out what works for you, the better.”
Coming off her fourth career victory and first on American soil last week at Gainbridge LPGA, Korda is well aware of the difficulty in winning back-to-back tournaments on the LPGA Tour. As the 18-hole co-leader at Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club, she is positioned nicely for a run at a second-straight victory.
“I told my caddie [Jason McDede] that the people who win back-to-back events, props to them. It is so mentally exhausting,” said Korda. Read more here
It's been over three years since Katherine Kirk last won on the LPGA Tour, but the 39 year-old Australian finds herself firmly in the mix at the Drive On Championship.
Kirk, who last won at the 2017 Thornberry Classic, shot an impressive three-under 69 to be just two shots behind American leaders Nelly Korda, Jennifer Kupcho and Austin Ernst after the opening round of the tournament.
Jaye Marie Green is one shot ahead of the Queenslander, who finds herself in a 10-way tie for sixth, in a group including Kiwi Lydia Ko and Jessica Korda.
Kirk posted two birdies and two bogeys before a run of birdies on 13, 14 and 16 kept her within striking distance of the leaders. Read more here
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