FRISCO, Texas – Nelly Korda shot a uniform 72 within the opening spherical of the KPMG Girls’s PGA Championship on Thursday, three days after the world’s top-ranked athletes exacerbated a neck damage through the observe spherical.
Korda mentioned he did not really feel any ache, however the two-time main champion mentioned he had ache “solely a spin” in his neck, and it was tough to sleep comfortably at night time.
“Yeah, that is good. Getting higher on daily basis, that is good,” she mentioned. “Each time I get injured in my neck simply because I am injured final 12 months, it takes slightly longer than traditional. This 12 months I tweaked it earlier than the spherical with Aliya (Jutanugaan) in Vegas.
It was April that Korda skipped two tournaments because of a neck damage through the LPGA Asian swing late final 12 months, shedding to Jutanugaan in match play. “Korda mentioned earlier this week that her neck was in a whole spasm after skipping that night time’s Champions dinner on the Fields Ranch East Course observe spherical held at PGA Frisco on Monday.”
Within the first spherical of the third main of the season, Korda had two birdies and two bogeys. She was 4 pictures from Jeeno Thitikul, the world’s second-largest participant in the identical group and match chief with a 4-under 68.
“General, even Parr is beginning out within the majors…it was slightly extra windy within the morning than I assumed. So it was slightly powerful. Yeah, I am fairly happy with the primary spherical on the circumstances,” Korda mentioned. “It was fairly windy. It was scorching. The warmth in Texas undoubtedly wanted a blow. I am more than happy with my place. To be sincere, I’ve by no means actually seen a leaderboard.”
Korda opened with seven consecutive pars, together with a 317-yard par-4 seventh gap. Her first pitch from there bouncing off the inexperienced edge and rolling down the slope to the place she was. Korda hit the following shot two toes, saving par.
Par 3 eighth, Corda’s tee shot arrange her first bogey over the inexperienced. After the par-5 strategy went proper and settled subsequent to the momentary construction, she was free to obtain aid and he or she pitched 3 1/2 toes to create a birdie putt.
“It is nice to rebound with birdies. I did not know the place it was going to fall. The grass was like pavement. It was very strong. It was strolling so much,” Korda mentioned. “It is at all times good once you’re bouncing off a birdie and getting a recent begin on the following 9 holes.”
