By: Max Bechtoldt
The hometown hero is lighting up Bradenton Country Club. Nelly Korda has raced out to an early lead after a -5 31 on the front nine of the Drive On Championship.
Bradenton Country Club has been giving players fits early in the day, and it looked to be the same for Korda. The Bradenton native bogeyed her first hole of the day. How did she respond? With birdies on holes two, three, six and nine, plus an eagle on the par five eighth.
Korda hit 6/7 fairways with an average driving distance of 265. She had only 14 putts and was perfect with her approach shots, hitting all nine greens. It’s a good sign for Korda, who had one of the weakest ball-striking years of her career in 2024.
If Korda were to go on and win, it’d be her first title on the LPGA Tour since Nov., 2022. It would be her fourth win in her home state, but undoubtedly one truly at home would be extra special.
Korda is currently the second highest ranked American in the world and No. 4 overall in the Rolex Rankings.
