SAMMAMISH, Wa. — The pressures of a major championship melted away on the first tee when Nelly Korda looked over and saw her nephew, Greyson DelPrete, outside the ropes. Korda’s big sister Jessica arrived on Wednesday with her four-month-old son, but Nelly wasn’t sure exactly when they’d join her on the course at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
“His giggles just give me so much happiness,” said Korda, who opened with a 3-under 69 at Sahalee Country Club to hold the clubhouse lead.
Though she’s coming into the third major of the year off two consecutive missed cuts, Korda’s 2024 has been historically brilliant. With five consecutive victories and six overall, including her second career major, a victory this week would put her in rarified air.
Since 1970, only three Americans have won seven or more times on the LPGA in a single season. Beth Daniel was the most recent in 1990 with seven, while Nancy Lopez won nine (1978) and eight times (1979) in her first two seasons on the LPGA. Kathy Whitworth won seven times in 1973.
Korda’s opening 69 included three consecutive birdies on Nos. 13-15 and a double-bogey on the fourth after she made the turn. She closed with a birdie on the par-3 ninth to end on a high note.
“I took my chances where I could and I played safe for the majority of the round,” she said.
When it comes to strategy, Korda is often reliant on long-time caddie Jason McDede — sometimes a little too reliant.
This week, she said, they decided that McDede would give her the number, how far she should land it, and then she would take it from there to feel more confident about each decision. Last week at a windy Meijer LPGA Classic, Korda struggled with going long on several approach shots in an opening 76.
“He’s going to disagree or agree,” said Korda of her chats with McDede, “but for the majority, it was a lot of agreeing today, so it was good.
While she missed the cut last week, Korda found something with the driver on Friday at the Meijer, which could prove massive this week.
“That’s the tough part about the golf course here,” she said. “If you don’t hit the fairway you don’t get to be aggressive. You can’t take your opportunities.”
Sahalee is undoubtedly a mental grind, and for some, like Allisen Corpuz, that’s a good thing. Corpuz opened with a 70, joining a host of players at 2 under including, Leona Maguire, Charley Hull and Amy Yang.
“I feel like weeks like this where par is always going to be a good score, I’m just pretty good at staying calm,” said the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open champion, “just playing it a little safer.”