Well, folks, ready for the first real thrill of the 2026 golf year? Nelly Korda immediately snatched her 16th LPGA title! And that at the season opener of the Tournament of Champions. What a performance, though it had to be shortened to 54 holes due to arctic temperatures.
On Saturday, Korda delivered an unbelievable round of 64 (-8!) at Lake Nona Country Club. However, six competitors were still on the course when play in Orlando, Florida, had to be suspended due to the conditions.
On Sunday afternoon, the chasers continued, but no one could catch Korda. The 27-year-old American, who had qualified for this tournament with a seven-win season in 2024, thus claims victory for the first time since November 2024.
„I was really fired up in the off-season to be at the top again," Korda revealed. The Tokyo Olympic gold medalist and two-time Major winner described her Saturday round of 64 – in wind and cold, it was truly a challenge! – as one of the best of her entire career.
„That was easily a top-three round of my career," said Korda. „The conditions were brutal, and they got worse throughout the day." Holes 17 and 18, in particular, had really challenged Korda. „They were brutal," she said. „Probably the toughest holes I've ever played in professional golf."
After intensive discussions with players and the greenkeeping team on Sunday, tournament officials made a tough decision: The tournament was shortened to 54 holes, and the planned final round on Sunday was canceled.
The LPGA stated in a statement: „Play will continue as Lake Nona Golf and Country Club becomes playable for competition at its peak temperature. But conditions will worsen throughout today and tomorrow, making it difficult to complete 72 holes."
Ricki Lasky, LPGA Chief Tour Business and Operations Officer, spoke with the players, who could barely practice properly in these icy temperatures. „When I drove here this morning, it was 23 degrees Fahrenheit (-5 degrees Celsius), the wind chill was 11 degrees. Quite shocking!" said Lasky. „The ground was rock-hard and completely changed the flight path of the balls during practice. We tried to maximize the available time to play all 72 holes. It didn't work out. We had to make the really tough decision to conclude it after 54 holes."
Poor weather forecasts made a Monday finish impossible, she explained further. „We wanted to ensure that the competition was of championship level," said Lasky. „To be fair to the entire field, we had to conclude it after 54 holes."
When play finally resumed, Korda had a three-stroke lead over South Korean Amy Yang. Yang played holes 17 and 18 to par on Sunday.
