Nelly Korda mentioned she felt no additional stress heading into the AIG Girls’s Open, although she didn’t construct on her outstanding early-season successful streak on the LPGA Tour.
Korda gained her first main title of the 12 months on the Chevron Championship, changing into a part of a five-game successful streak on the LPGA Tour and tying the earlier file set by Nancy Lopez and Annika Sorenstam. Then began with a sixth win in seven matches on the Mizuho Americas Open in Might.
In a dramatic change of fortune, she missed the following three tournaments, together with the U.S. Girls’s Open and the KPMG Girls’s PGA Championship, and Korda subsequently failed to complete within the prime 20 at each the Evian Championship and the Paris Olympics.
Korda stays world primary and favourite for a 3rd main victory, with the 28-year-old unconcerned about his dip in kind over the previous three months.
“I believe that is simply life or sports activities basically,” Korda mentioned on the pregame press convention. “You by no means shoot straight up, you go up after which down.
“I believe the most effective half about setbacks is that you just study extra about your self – it is at all times a studying alternative and I take pleasure in that. I at all times strive to think about the whole lot in a constructive approach.
“Now in comparison with the start of the 12 months, clearly my outcomes should not the most effective, however on the finish of the day, I am nonetheless studying and nonetheless getting higher from it.
“it [winning at St Andrews] Clearly it could be a dream come true if my title was etched in historical past, however on the finish of the day, I am simply targeted on one shot and do not take into consideration Sunday.
Korda will compete within the first two rounds alongside England’s Charlie Hull and world No. 2 Lilia Wu, who may turn into the primary participant to win back-to-back AIG Girls’s Open titles since Yani Tseng in 2011.
“With a purpose to defend the championship, I did not put an excessive amount of stress on myself,” Wu mentioned. “It is a new week on a brand new golf course. I’ll play like I do each time and attempt to beat the course daily climate allowing.
“I simply strive my finest. Each time folks assume, ‘Oh, I am defending one thing,’ it feels such as you’ve misplaced one thing. If you begin over at first of a recreation, you have not gained the sport but.” , so I believe I’m going to stay with that mentality.
Ko: Too targeted on large wins?
Former world No. 1 Korilla secured her place within the LPGA Corridor of Fame after successful gold on the Paris Olympics earlier this month, though she has failed so as to add two extra since her teenage success on the Chevron Championship. A significant victory.
“Our purpose is to attempt to attain the highest within the majors, however that is simpler mentioned than performed,” Gao mentioned earlier than the AIG Girls’s Open. “You are able to do the whole lot proper, however it would possibly simply be that point of the month, otherwise you would possibly simply be drained or drawn on the mistaken facet. There are such a lot of variables which are out of your management.
“I believe it is rather a lot tougher, I do know each time Rory [McIlroy] Kick-off, everybody requested him. Clearly he performed rather well on the U.S. Open, however folks at all times solely speak about his efficiency. I imply, the man performed nice, .
“I believe generally we get carried away with who’s successful, like what number of years it has been. Prefer it’s been a drought and this and that, however I believe it is troublesome. As gamers, we’re making an attempt to get to the highest degree. .
“It doesn’t matter what, I am very proud to be a serious champion, and I do know not all golfers get the chance to say that. I do need to proceed to place myself in competitors and I believe when you do this, I” I am going to turn into extra snug in that place.
Who will win the AIG Girls’s Open? Watch all 4 rounds dwell on Sky Sports activities this week! Sky Sports activities Golf will broadcast the primary spherical dwell from midday on Thursday. Stream women’s professional events and more with NOW.