
Nelly Korda rallies to sudden-death hometown victory at LPGA Drive On Championship
CNN
Nelly Korda pulled off a stunning late rally to clinch a dramatic hometown victory at the LPGA Drive On Championship in Florida on Sunday, edging Lydia Ko in a playoff to prolong the New Zealander’s wait to join the LPGA Hall of Fame.
Nelly Korda pulled off a stunning late rally to clinch a dramatic hometown victory at the LPGA Drive On Championship in Florida on Sunday, edging Lydia Ko in a playoff to prolong the New Zealander’s wait to join the LPGA Hall of Fame. Trailing Ko by three strokes with just two holes left to play, Bradenton-born Korda’s hopes of an emotional win at Bradenton Country Club looked to have faded after a run of bogey, double-bogey, bogey, only for the 25-year-old to make an eagle-birdie finish to finish level with her rival at 11-under overall and force a playoff. After both players parred the first extra hole, world No. 9 Ko saw her effort for par lip out at the subsequent replay of the 18th, and Korda made no mistake with her attempt to send the local crowd wild. “The amount of support I received this week was unbelievable,” Korda told reporters. “I’m so grateful for it and so surprised with how many people came out and watched. They kept me in it. I didn’t think I even had a chance, and then obviously making the eagle on 17, I knew that I needed a birdie on 18 to even have a chance to get into a playoff. “Just wow. Good ol’ Nelly fashion making it dramatic.”