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USA Today
a day ago
- Sport
- USA Today
Nelly Korda sits four back of Jeeno Thitikul at Women's PGA, says neck is on the mend
Nelly Korda sits four back of Jeeno Thitikul at Women's PGA, says neck is on the mend FRISCO, Texas – Nelly Korda finds herself in solid position after Round 1 of the KPMG Women's PGA and, most importantly, her neck is on the mend. The world No. 1 said it's still hard to get comfortable when she sleeps, and she feels pain when she moves her neck side to side, but when she hits a golf ball, she's OK as long as it's taped up. Korda originally injured her neck last fall, and said when she tweaks it now, it usually takes a week to recover. Earlier this year at the LPGA match-play event in Las Vegas, Korda suffered a spasm while sleeping and couldn't move before her match against Ariya Jutanugarn. This time around, Korda suffered a spasm after hitting a ball out of the rough on Monday at the Fields Ranch Each course in Frisco. The rough isn't high, but it sinks down in the Northbridge Bermuda, often forcing players to wedge out. Korda opened with an even-par 72 on a steamy day in Texas to trail world No. 2 Jeeno Thitikul by four strokes. "Probably going to play a little firmer tomorrow,' said Korda. 'The golf course is just kind of played firmer and faster every single day.' After winning seven times in 2024, Korda remains winless this season, though she leads the tour in scoring with a 69.07 average. When it comes to scoring at the majors, Korda leads that, too, by a mile since the beginning of last year. Korda's cumulative score in relation to par over the last seven majors is 14 under, with Ruoning Yin coming in second at 9 under. Korda's play off the tee has been so strong, she has gained a full stroke on the field with her driver over the past two major championship seasons, according to the KPMG Performance Insights. 'I was hitting it well off the tee into the greens, and just didn't really give myself too many great looks,' said Korda. 'But I played pretty solid, I think, for the first day of a major. I mean, the pins were tough out there today.' Thitikul could overtake Korda as the No. 1 player with a victory this week, should Korda finish 11th or worse. Korda has been atop the Rolex Rankings for the past 65 weeks, dating back to March 2024. Thitikul spent two weeks in the No. 1 spot in the fall of 2022.
Daily Mirror
12-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Justin Thomas' true Jordan Spieth thoughts with relationship crystal clear
Golf stars Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth have a strong friendship, but it seems the duo aren't afraid to put their alliance to one side when it comes to battling for the game's biggest titles Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas have one of golf's strongest friendships, dating back to their teenage years on the junior circuit. Spieth, 31, and Thomas, 32, teed off in the US Open on Thursday at the challenging Oakmont Country Club in Pennsylvania. Both players will be eager to end a dry spell in the majors by conquering Oakmont's formidable course during the prestigious tournament. Speaking on Netflix 's latest golf documentary, Full Swing, Thomas displayed his fierce side, however, by admitting that he is happy to put his 20-year-long friendship with Spieth on the back burner in order to achieve his goals. 'He's one of my best friends, we're always going to pull for each other," Thomas said on the first episode of the show. "But at the same time, I hope that I beat him in every single tournament that we play in for the rest of our life.' Spieth boasts an illustrious career with three major titles under his belt, but has not secured one of the game's premium events since his triumph at The Open in 2017. Thomas, on the other hand, has two majors to his name, winning the PGA Championship in 2017 and 2022. While they will be going head-to-head at Oakmont, it appears Thomas has always enjoyed a competitive streak with his closest friend. Speaking in 2017, he opened up on how they've always gone toe-to-toe, regardless of the tournament. "I mean, we're always competing," he said. "Whether it was we want to be at the top of the Rolex Rankings in junior golf; we want to be the low junior golfer in the US. "Amateur; we want to make the cut as an amateur in a Tour event; we want to win college player of the year and we want to lead our team's scoring average. It's just now we're at the top level." The duo, who grew especially close after playing all over the world as teenagers, have been spotted on vacation in the Bahamas together, while Spieth was also Thomas' best man when he married Jillian Wisniewski. Despite their highly competitive nature, there is a more tender side to their bromance. In January 2024, Thomas lifted the lid to GOLF's Subpar podcast on his best friend's contribution to his wedding. 'I hate to do this, but man, he crushed it,' Thomas said on Spieth's best man speech. 'I'll give him an A+. He didn't lose the rings, which, if you know Jordan, that's always on the table. He had a great speech. Didn't throw me under the bus but also had a few subtle jabs in there." Spieth and Thomas also bought shares in the 49ers group, which own Leeds United. Yet, alliances will once again be tested as the pair battle it out for the US Open. With Oakmont's damp conditions worrying some of the finest names in the game – from Bryson DeChambeau to Rory McIlroy – Spieth, who is still battling back after wrist surgery, has revealed that he is ready for whatever Oakmont throws his way. 'This course is built to be like this,' he told the Associated Press recently. 'So they're not doing a whole lot different to the golf course. You hit a good shot, you get rewarded for it here. And if you don't, you're in big trouble. It's pure golf, no funny business about it.'
USA Today
21-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Lindy Duncan, Maria Fassi among late additions to U.S. Women's Open field
Lindy Duncan, Maria Fassi among late additions to U.S. Women's Open field It's already been a special week for Maria Fassi. She's competing in her native Mexico for the first time as a professional and, moments before she met with the press on Tuesday at the Mexico Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba, the former NCAA champion received an email from the USGA informing her that she's now in the field for the 80th U.S. Women's Open. Fassi was the first alternate from the Westminster, Colorado, qualifying site. "Just very, very relieved, very excited," said Fassi of teeing it up next week at Erin Hills. "It had been a lot of work in the qualifier to get in this position even." Fassi got into the field after KLPGA player Jungmin Hong declined her spot earlier this week. Hung was one of five players who got in off the updated Rolex Rankings list on Monday. Lindy Duncan (50th), Mi Hyang Lee (64th), and Manon De Roey (73rd) moved into the top 75 as of May 19 and have already accepted their spots. The USGA is still waiting to hear back from South Korea's Shinsil Bang, who ranks 61st. Duncan, 34, is in the midst of a breakout season on tour after coming up short in a playoff at the Chevron Championship. The Duke grad was ranked 176th to start the year and has four top-12 finishes in seven starts this season. The USGA had held seven spots to fill off the Rolex Rankings and, after only using five, put two alternates from qualifying into the field – Yuna Nishimura and Gemma Dryburgh. Arkansas' Maria Jose Marin got in after winning the individual NCAA title on Monday and has already accepted the invitation. This will be the Colombian's first Women's Open appearance. The field of 156 players has 154 spots accounted for as of Wednesday. A spot will be given to the winner of the Riviera Maya Open, should she not already be in the field. Should Bang decline, the USGA will go back to the alternate list from qualifying to fill the spot.
USA Today
29-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
It was one year ago this week that Nelly Korda reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the rankings
It was one year ago this week that Nelly Korda reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the rankings CHANDLER, Ariz. — One year ago this week, Nelly Korda reclaimed her perch atop the Rolex Rankings. She doesn't appear to be in a hurry to give it up anytime soon. Korda, 26, is the top-ranked player in women's golf for a fifth time in her career. She joined the tour in 2017. She first reached the pinnacle of the rankings after winning the 2021 KPMG Women's PGA Championship, her first major, and she held the top spot for nine weeks. Then, for the final two weeks of the 2022 season, she was No. 1 again. After the 2023 Chevron Championship, Korda returned to No. 1 for three weeks. She was No. 1 for a fourth time, and a brief time, just one week, after the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship, where she tied for ninth. In 2024, Korda had her most dominant season, and at one point, won five tournaments in a row. After the second straight of those five, she was back in the No. 1 spot and she's been there ever since. Nelly Korda's win at 2024 Ford led to No. 1 Her third straight win during that stretch was the 2024 Ford Championship, a title defense she's mounting this week in Arizona. Her fifth straight win a year ago was also her second career major, the Chevron. She has a firm grip on the top spot with a sizeable lead over Jeeno Thitikul. Lydia Ko is third. The Rolex Rankings debuted in February 2006, and 18 different women have held the top spot. Korda's streak is now at 52 weeks. Jin Young Ko holds the record for the longest time at No. 1 with 163 weeks over the course of five different stretches. Lorena Ochoa was No. 1 for 158 weeks and Lydia Ko for 125. Ochoa has the longest consecutive stretch at No. 1 with those 158 weeks, which ended only by her retirement in 2010.
USA Today
29-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Jin Young Ko, Rose Zhang lead list of notables who missed the cut at 2025 Ford Championship
Jin Young Ko, Rose Zhang lead list of notables who missed the cut at 2025 Ford Championship CHANDLER, Ariz. — It's the best field the LPGA has had so far in 2025. The 2025 Ford Championship started with every one of the top 10, 19 of the top 20 and 40 of the 50 players in the Rolex Rankings. After 36 holes, nine of those top 10 golfers have advanced to the weekend with six in the top 10. The cut Friday came in at 4 under, and that meant quite a few notable names didn't secure weekend tee times. It also meant time to turn in the keys to the vehicles that the Arizona Ford Dealers made available for free for all the players in the tournament. Notables who missed the cut at 2025 Ford Championship The lone top-10 player to end her week short is eighth-ranked Jin Young Ko. She rallied late Thursday with a birdie-eagle finish to get to even par but didn't parlay that into a much-needed low second-round score. While she did eagle the 17th hole Friday, she also carded three bogeys and two double bogeys to shoot a 1-over 73. Georgia Hall shot 4 under Friday, but her 2 over Thursday round did her in this week. Stacy Lewis had a similar week, opening 3 over and then going 5 under but she too came up short. Anna Nordqvist, who played college golf up the road at Arizona State and who was recently named the European captain for the 2026 Solheim Cup, shot consecutive 72s to finish even par. Rio Takeda won the Blue Bay LPGA three weeks ago, the last event before this week, but scores of 69 and 75 will keep her away from the weekend. Rose Zhang, playing in her first event since finishing her most recent term at Stanford and just her second this season, shot 73-71 to finish her week even par.
