Nelly Korda admitted she “messed up” her shot at a second main title of 2024 as she squandered a two-shot lead over the ultimate 5 holes of the AIG Ladies’s Open at St Andrews.
Korda was closing in on a seventh win of the season when she stepped on the par-five 14th, just for a double-bogey seven to drop the world No 1 again right into a four-way tie alongside eventual champion Lydia Ko, Jenny Shin and Lilia Vu.
Korda’s hopes pale additional with a bogey at 17 after failing to stand up and down in two from the Street Gap bunker as she in the end carded a level-par 72 to complete 5 beneath, two behind Ko.
“Listen, it’s golf,” Korda advised reporters afterwards. “I’m going to mess up and unfortunately I messed up over the weekend twice in two penalising ways coming down the stretch.
“Theoretically that is what sort of value me the match however I performed effectively. I performed stable.
“I even fought after that. I’m going to take that into the next coming events.”
Together with her tied-second end, Korda a minimum of claimed the 2024 Rolex ANNIKA Main Award, given to the participant who returns the very best report throughout all 5 main championships through the LPGA Tour season.
Korda received the primary main of the season, the Chevron Championship, which was the second of her profession following her 2021 Ladies’s PGA Championship win.
She added: “Overall, I think I putted really well this week. I hit the ball really well with the conditions. Hopefully that is going to be trending in the right direction again.”
Regardless of Korda’s late wobble around the Outdated Course to lose out to Ko, Sky Sports activities’ Dame Laura Davies was left in little question that she’ll have her day once more at a significant championship.
“She has played great golf but you can’t always be the one that gets the win,” Davies mentioned.
“It’s so difficult out there. Four days in that, I thought the scoring was incredible for the whole week.
“It is arduous. She is aware of how arduous it’s… she has already received six [titles this year].
“It just didn’t work out for her. But she’s still an absolutely great player and a worthy world No 1 – and will be for quite some time to come. I think she’ll win many more major championships.”
Ko savours ‘Cinderella-like’ Ladies’s Open win
As for Ko, the latest AIG Ladies’s Open champion, she described her previous couple of weeks as a “Cinderella-like story” as she adopted up an Olympic gold medal together with her third main title – and first for eight years.
Talking after victory, Ko mentioned: “It is fairly surreal. Profitable the gold medal in Paris a few weeks in the past, it was virtually too good to be true. I mentioned to myself, ‘how is it attainable for me to win the AIG Ladies’s Open?’ I would had probably the most Cinderella-like story the previous few weeks.
“Of all the major championships, this one I’ve had the least amount of confidence, because I’ve had the least amount of experience on links and the results haven’t followed either. So to be holding this trophy right now, I can’t believe it.”
She added: “It is a particular place [St Andrews]. I used to be lucky sufficient to play right here as an newbie in 2013 when Stacy [Lewis] received. I might by no means have imagined that 11 years later I might be in her sneakers.
Davies was filled with reward for Ko after her newest triumph: “She’s an absolute superstar, and she’s so nice as well!
“Her sport is so uncomplicated that when she’s on it, it is really easy for her. She would not appear to really feel the strain like most individuals do.
“It’s one of those things of how much better can it get? The last three weeks she’s had, it’s been extraordinary.”
What’s subsequent?
The Girls European Tour heads to Eire for the KPMG Ladies’s Irish Open, dwell from Thursday on Sky Sports activities, whereas the LPGA Tour hosts the inaugural FM Championship at TPC Boston.
There’s additionally the Curtis Cup at Sunningdale from Friday, the place Nice Britain and Eire face the US, whereas Crew Europe look to retain the trophy after they face Crew USA within the Solheim Cup from September 13-15. Stream the LPGA Tour, Girls European Tour and extra sport with NOW.
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