By: Max Bechtoldt
“Just trust it” – Nelly Korda’s caddie Jason McDede said on the par 3 17th hole at Lake Nona during the second round of the Tournament of Champions. Korda hit a perfect shot and converted the birdie to propel her to -4 for the tournament.
Korda shot -3 for the round, a strong improvement from her -1 opening score. On the back nine Thursday Korda made no birdies and had a bogey, on Friday she made three birdies on that side of the course.
Korda’s game off the tee was much stronger today, hitting 12 fairways in regulation, compared to only nine in the first round. It is a strong sign for the player who is generally considered one of the best drivers of the golf ball on the LPGA Tour.
Curiously, Korda’s approach shots took a big hit. While she hit 17 greens in regulation on Thursday, she only hit 13 on Friday. That streaky putter showed up though, as Korda had only 28 putts compared to an abysmal 33 on Thursday.
Korda is looking for her first win since 2022. She has dealt heavily with injury issues the last two years, after her 2021 campaign that saw her win four LPGA events including a major, plus the Olympic gold medal.
Korda now sits at -4 for the tournament. Though she sits behind stars like Lydia Ko and Brooke Henderson, amongst others, Korda is in much better position to contend on Sunday than she was coming into the day.
