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03/20/19 03:17:00
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03/20 15:15 CDT Nelly Korda learning she doesn't have to be perfect to win
Nelly Korda learning she doesn't have to be perfect to win
By JOHN NICHOLSON
AP Sports Writer
PHOENIX (AP) --- David Whelan has tried to teach Nelly Korda that she doesn't
need to be perfect to win on the LPGA Tour.
"My coach constantly tells me that," Korda said at the Founders Cup. "I want to
practice perfectly. I want to play perfectly all the time. He thinks I'm such a
perfectionist. That's one thing we always kind of like argue about. I'm
starting to kind of get the grasp of like you can't be perfect all the time."
The 20-year-old Korda will open play Thursday at Desert Ridge in the event that
honors the 13 women who founded the LPGA Tour in 1950.
"It's really special to us to see how far this tour has come," she said.
Korda won the Women's Australian Open last month for her second LPGA Tour
victory and leads the money list. She's coming off a 10th-place finish three
weeks ago in Singapore, her fourth straight top-10 to open the year.
After winning in Australia, she played through a nagging cold in Thailand and
Singapore.
"Not 100 percent, but very close," she said. "I'm almost over it. Still have a
little cough."
The victory added to her family's sports pedigree Down Under. Her father, Petr
Korda, won his lone Grand Slam tennis title in the 1998 Australian Open. Older
sister Jessica Korda won the Women's Australian Open seven years ago for the
first of her five LPGA Tour titles, and brother Sebastian took the Australian
Open boys' singles title last year.
Inbee Park is the defending champion in the low-scoring desert event.
"Got to make a lot of birdies out here," Park said.
The tournament is played on a combination of Wildfire Golf Club's two courses,
with the back nine of the Arnold Palmer-designed layout serving as the front
nine and the Nick Faldo-designed course's final nine as the back nine.
"It's really flawless," Park said. "This golf course is definitely scorable and
everybody scores really well."
Winless since the event last year, the 19-time tour champion opened the season
three weeks ago in Singapore with a 14th-place finish.
"I feel a little bit still fresh, but I am looking forward to playing the
stretch starting in this event and on," Park said. "I'm trying to play a little
bit more if my body allows it to. I have scheduled probably three to five more
events this year than last year."
Seven of the top 10 players in the world are in the field. Top-ranked Sung Hyun
Park, the Singapore winner, is playing along with No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn, No. 3
Minjee Lee, No. 6 Park, No. 8 Korda, No. 9 Jin Young Ko and No. 10 Brooke
Henderson.
PREGNANT PAY
Brittany Lincicome is expecting her first child, a daughter, in early
September. She said Tuesday that sponsors CME Group and Diamond Resorts have
committed to honor their contracts throughout the pregnancy, not a common
practice for LPGA Tour players.
"I never thought in a million years that they would do that," Lincicome said.
"I feel so honored and blessed to be represented by two great companies."
The eight-time tour winner is making her second start of the season.
DRIVE ON
The LPGA Tour unveiled a branding initiative Wednesday called Drive On.
"Drive On is clearly rooted in golf, but it's a bigger idea," the tour said.
"It captures the power and potential in each of us and celebrates the hard
work, focus, and tenacity that it takes to achieve our goals."
The tour launched the program with a 45-second video on social media.
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