Nelly Korda drilled a birdie putt on the first playoff gap to beat Ryann O’Toole within the LPGA Seri Pak Championship, the place Korda’s second title in as many begins secured her return to world primary.
Korda hadn’t performed since beating Lydia Ko in a playoff to win the Drive On Championship in Florida seven weeks in the past.
But after shaking off some rust early within the week she battled by means of the “brutal” windy circumstances at Palos Verdes Golf Club to emerge with the tenth LPGA title of her profession.
Korda led by three after an eagle on the 14th however closed with back-to-back bogeys in a two-under-par 69 to fall right into a tie on nine-under par 275 with fellow American O’Toole, whose five-under 66 was the bottom spherical of the day.
The chilly wind whipping throughout the scenic Palos Verdes peninsula south of Los Angeles made for a chaotic closing spherical, the gusts shifting the balls on some greens and wafting good pictures astray.
Australian Gabriela Ruffels and American Alison Lee each held a share of the lead on the entrance 9 earlier than ending tied for second on 276, Ruffels closing with a one-under 70 and Lee a one-over 72.
Overnight co-leader Shin Ji-yai of South Korea, a former world primary and two-time main winner, was making a uncommon LPGA look on a sponsor’s invitation within the event hosted by her childhood idol Pak Se-ri.
She carded a two-over 73 to affix a bunch of 277 that additionally included Thailand’s Jasmine Suwannapura (70) and American Andrea Lee (68).
“The weekend was brutal,” Korda stated. “Today was just really tough. But I think that’s also the beauty of the game.
“It’s fun to play in these conditions and kind of be a little bit more artistic out here.”
Korda, one-under after two birdies and a bogey on the entrance 9 gained useful floor with a uncommon birdie on the par-four twelfth, the place she fired out of the tough to about 12 toes and rolled within the putt to affix a tie for the lead on nine-under.
The reigning Olympic champion was alone atop the leaderboard by the point she arrived on the par-five 14, the place she reached the inexperienced in two and made a testing left-to-right downhill putt for eagle that gave her a three-shot lead on 11-under.
– Normal Nelly issues -A bogey adopted at 15 — the place she watched the wind push her ball off the inexperienced. Unable to transform a protracted eagle effort from the perimeter, she settled for birdie on the par-five sixteenth, however she bogeyed 17 and 18.
“Once I made the eagle, I got maybe a little nervous where I kind of got a little ahead of myself and started making some mistakes,” Korda stated.
“I seem to always make it interesting … just doing normal Nelly things, making it interesting.”
O’Toole, in the meantime, was ending robust, her birdies at 16 and 17 retaining her inside hanging distance and a protracted par-saving putt on the final sufficient to place her in a playoff.
ALSO READ: NBA bans Utah’s Dunn for two games and Houston’s Smith for one after mid-game fight
“I couldn’t be more proud to be in this position,” stated O’Toole, who had 5 birdies and an eagle together with two bogeys in her spherical.
“That was actually my first playoff ever, so I really enjoyed it. I came from behind and gave it my best chance. I can’t be more proud.”
O’Toole, who claimed her solely LPGA title on the Women’s Scottish Open in 2021, stated she realized she might be headed to a playoff when Korda’s ball raced by means of the inexperienced at 18.
“That’s a really hard up and down,” she stated.