The LPGA Tour’s penultimate event of 2024 at the ANNIKA started out with WNBA star Caitlin Clark capturing hearts at the pro-am. She played alongside Rolex Player of the Year Nelly Korda and tournament host Annika Sorenstam. The event came to a close with Korda taking home her seventh title of the season and becoming the first American to do so since Beth Daniel in 1990.
The Sunday was slow-going in the beginning for the World No. 1, as she was tied for second with China’s Weiwei Zhang on 11 under with England’s Charley Hull in the lead a shot ahead. Korda made several birdies, but seemed to have a bogey to match every one. It was the same teetering progress for Hull, who only managed to stay ahead by a single stroke.
On the back nine, Wichanee Meechai of Thailand managed to tie for first alongside Hull after she birdied her first 11 holes. But after two bogeys, she dropped back down, and ultimately finished in 7th.
It was on the par-3 12th hole that Korda sunk a birdie and climbed the leaderboard to tie with Hull and Meechai at the summit. When Meechai made her critical bogey, Korda birdied the 13th and took the lead on 12 under. Both Korda and Hull birdied the next two holes but by then Korda was in the lead by two shots with 3 holes remaining.
At the par-4 16th, Korda made a much needed par putt from a divot that kept her ahead even when Hull matched her. A bogey at the 17th for Hull ultimately left her to tie for second place on 11 under with Zhang and Korea’s Jin Hee Im. Korda ended up claiming a three-shot victory on 14 under and walked away with $487,500 from the total $3.25 million prize purse.
“It’s so nice to play in front of friends and family so close to home. I think that’s what makes me so comfortable out here,” said Korda after her win. “I didn’t start the day the way I wanted to, but it’s not how you start, it’s how you finish. To have that run that I did on those five holes, I kept myself in it all day. I didn’t make big mistakes but couldn’t really get anything going. To go on that run that I did feels really nice.”
This marks the 26-year-old’s 15th LPGA Tour title of her career. She went on to say it was also the first win she’d achieved in front of her younger brother, Sebastian Korda, who stood in the crowd.
“I didn’t know (Sebastian) was there on the last three. I saw him on 18 when I made that last putt,” Korda said. “Never won in front of him, but family is so important to me. It’s not that close from my parents’ house, hour and 40. For him to drive an hour 40 with three holes remaining, one, he was very confident in me, and two, really nice to have his support. We haven’t seen each other since the middle of summer, and to hug him, it was really, really nice.”
Hull’s T2 result marked her fourth top-10 result of the season. Alongside many other players, she will now be looking ahead to the final 2024 LPGA Tour event next week.
WHAT IS THE NEXT EVENT?
The next event on the LPGA Tour schedule is the CME Group Tour Championship taking place between 18-24 November at the Tiburón Golf Club in Naples, Florida.