Danielle Kang presents near the tournament trophy throughout the eighteenth green after winning the competition of Champions LPGA golf contest, Sunday, , in Orlando, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
Korda didn’t generate their first birdie associated with the rounded until the 15th gap
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) – Danielle Kang conveniently acknowledges she, and her golfing technique, stay a consistent operate in improvements. She spent a lot of the offseason locating an approach to feel a€?comfortable being uneasy.a€? It seems to-be operating.
On a hard tournament test at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club, Kang ran down five birdies in a seven-hole stretch in the center of this lady game, posted the low get Sunday at 4-under 68 and sprinted away to a three-shot triumph within season-opening Hilton fantastic Vacations event of Champions.
a€?My mental game really was great,a€? stated Kang, who had been winless in 2021 after having acquired in all of the lady past four LPGA seasons. a€?I got a very positive attitude day long nowadays and yesterday. I am aware I left some putts on the market, but We never ever allow it to will me personally, and I held having to offer me birdie chances whenever you can.a€?
Kang had been the lone pro to-break 70 on both week-end weeks (69-68), additionally the just member to take inside sixties all four rounds. The 29-year-old United states now has six LPGA games.
In her just earlier visit to Lake Nona, Kang overlooked the cut at the Gainbridge LPGA last year. But once inquired about they in this tournament, Kang stated she didn’t come with recollection.
On a blustery, cool Florida time that made birdies scarce and scoring challenging, Kang put in more than the lady show, producing six birdies. She got control of the tournament in early stages the trunk nine with three successive birdies starting from the par-3 13th.
a highlight on the game was a hard-earned bogey at 393-yard sixteenth, where Kang drawn their means almost into a punishment room along with playing out of the hole on a difficult bunker shot. She then two-putted from about 90 base, converting a bogey putt from 10 legs.
Gaby Lopez, among three people to keep the lead Sunday, practiced an up-and-down time, air conditioning after a hot front nine in order to complete 3rd, four shots behind Kang. She starred the lady way in to the lead with three consecutive birdies starting at the fifth hole, but could not maintain the speed and were left with a 72.
Playing alongside Nelly Korda and Annika Sorenstam – one an ongoing No. 1, one an old, and 72-time LPGA champ – Lopez located the knowledge is useful and educational.
Korda, just who took a one-shot lead into Sunday, recorded 75 and slid to a link for fourth. It certainly was not a continuation of this lady very first 54 openings, when Korda generated 16 birdies and an eagle.
a€?Overall, you understand, i did not play excellent,a€? Korda mentioned, a€?but i will require some advantages from the this week, and ideally I am able to style of go to the then two.a€?
She plans to play the LPGA’s earliest three events in Fl, after that grab six-weeks down, generating her own offseason after a lengthy and extremely winning 2021 campaign.
She had joined the last rounded coming off seven straight rounds within the 60s at Lake Nona, and 11 straight rounds inside the 1960s as datingreviewer.net/local-hookup/moncton a whole matchmaking to latest month
She didn’t have to look far to discover the LPGA record-holder for consecutive rounds within the sixties: Sorenstam, exactly who as soon as built 14 in a row, was in their team, competing against former MLB pitcher Derek Lowe for the concept inside celeb unit.
Lowe and Sorenstam would choose additional holes to choose a hollywood winner, with Lowe surprising society Golf hall-of-famer when he rolled in a 25-footer for birdie throughout the earliest higher hole, the par-4 18th. Sorenstam have a putt just inside Lowe’s but once golf ball neglected to drop, victory was his.
