After opening the tournament with a 2-over on the first nine at Liberty National Golf Club, it looked like a sixth 2024 LPGA victory might be out of reach for World No. 1 Nelly Korda. But, as she’s done so many other times this season, the now 14-time tour winner dug deep and battled forward, outlasting Hannah Green by one shot to win her sixth title in her last seven starts at the Mizuho Americas Open.
Korda began the round with a two-shot lead over Green, but the Australian immediately picked up a shot on Korda, making a birdie on the 1st hole to move to 12-under total and one stroke back of the two-time major champion. Korda then stumbled, bogeying the par-3 second hole to drop a shot and sit in a tie with Green at -11. She regained the advantage with a birdie on the 4th hole but tripped up again with a bogey on the next to slip back to 12-under.
While Green stayed steady, Korda made another mistake on the 7th hole, bogeying the par 4 to completely erase the two-shot lead she began the day with. Green only held onto the one-shot lead for a short while, however, as the two-time 2024 LPGA Tour winner made bogey on the 8th hole to open up a three-way tie for first at 11-under alongside Korda and Ayaka Furue.
“Yeah, definitely was not a good start to the day. Just couldn’t get anything going, and Jay actually told me to pretty much get my head out of my, um, (laughter) and to reset and to start fresh,” said Korda following her final round.
“There were opportunities that I could take advantage of on the back nine and it was still a tight race. Even though I was 2-over, I was still tied for the lead, so it’s not like I was completely discouraged with my play. Overall, you know, definitely tough start to the day…”
The race to the finish remained in a deadlock, as Korda and Green matched one another shot for shot all the way to the last hole. Heading onto the final hole at -14 after birdies on 10, 13 and 15, it was either player’s trophy to hoist.
“It almost felt like I was back in Vegas at the match play event playing with Hannah. It was definitely a lot of back and forth. I felt like when of us hit it really close or could take advantage of something on the back nine the other hit it close too and made the putt,” Korda said. “Overall, it was just a battle until the 18th hole. You really had to stay really patient out there and trust that — trust your game and that you’re going to hit good shots.”
On the 18th tee, Green pulled her tee shot into the left rough while Korda easily found the fairway. Playing her approach shot first, Green’s second landed in the rough just short of the left greenside bunker, leaving the Aussie a tricky pitch shot that she hit to roughly 15 feet, handing the advantage to Korda.
Korda’s birdie try nearly dropped, and she ultimately tapped in for par, putting the pressure on Green to make her putt to force a playoff. And when Green failed to convert, two-putting for a closing bogey, it was Korda for whom the crowds once again roared on the final green of an LPGA Tour tournament. The 25-year-old emerged victoriously for the sixth time this season at the Mizuho Americas Open.
“Oh, my gosh, six, I can’t even really gather myself right now with that, the head-to-head that Hannah and I had pretty much all day,” said Korda. “Wasn’t my best stuff out there today but fought really hard on the back nine. It was just amazing to share the stage with Hannah. I consider her a pretty good friend out her, and it was a lot of fun going head-to-head against her.”
With the victory, Korda becomes the first player since Inbee Park in 2013 to win six times in a single season and is the first American to do so since Beth Daniel won seven titles in 1990. She becomes just the eighth player since 1980 to win six or more times in a year, joining Betsy King, Annika Sorenstam, Karrie Webb, Lorena Ochoa, Yani Tseng, Daniel and Park. Korda has also tied Sorenstam as the fastest player to win six times in an LPGA Tour season since 1980, doing so in her eighth 2024 start.
LPGA Communications press release used to compile post.
