Brooks Henderson one shot off lead after three rounds at Chevron Championship

THE WOODLANDS, Texas (AP) — Nelly Korda could not have imagined the unimaginable run she’s put collectively this season whereas at residence recovering from a blood clot that required surgical procedure in 2022.

“As a result of clearly then I used to be simply extra scared for my well being,” she stated. “Competing was form of on the again seat. I used to be not fascinated about competing in any respect. However I believe all the unhappy occasions and the well being scares that I’ve gone by means of have made me who I’m right now.”

Totally wholesome now, Korda is seemingly unstoppable. The world’s No. 1 participant hasn’t misplaced a event since January, and now she’s a two-time main champion.

Korda etched her title within the LPGA Tour file books Sunday, successful her record-tying fifth straight event with a two-stroke victory within the Chevron Championship.

Korda joins Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sorenstam (2004-05) as the one gamers to win 5 consecutive LPGA occasions. Her earlier main victory was in 2021 on the Ladies’s PGA Championship.

“It’s been an incredible feeling these previous couple weeks realizing that I can go on this stretch and that if I keep in my bubble and I preserve golf in a way easy and let it move, then I can have so, a lot enjoyable out right here,” she stated.

Korda shot a 3-under 69 within the remaining to outlast Maja Stark of Sweden, who birdied her remaining two holes to shoot 69 and pull inside one. Korda stayed aggressive on the par-5 18th, simply clearing the lake in entrance of the inexperienced and organising a straightforward up-and-down birdie for a two-shot victory.

She had a four-day whole of 13-under 275 at Carlton Woods.

Korda practically aced the par-3 seventeenth, together with her tee shot hitting the outlet and hopping within the air earlier than settling inside 10 toes. She settled for par to keep up her two-shot lead.

Korda wowed the massive crowd, which adopted her all through the day, by chipping into the wind for birdie on the par-4 tenth gap to take a four-stroke lead. The 25-year-old raised her membership above her head with one hand and pumped her fist after the ball rolled into the outlet.

Her dad and mom — former Australian Open tennis champion Petr Korda and Regina Rajchrtova — beamed as she was introduced with the trophy.

“She had a troublesome ’22 and ’23 in sure methods,” Petr Korda stated. “She didn’t win a event in ’23 and a few issues most likely made her humble and (she) put loads of work into the place she is true now. With out the work and dedication, she wouldn’t be right here. So seeing that, I’m very comfortable.”

Korda’s older sister, Jessica, is a six-time LPGA winner who’s taking a break from golf after giving delivery to her first little one.

Korda took residence $1.2 million from a handbag of $7.9 million, a major enhance from final yr’s purse of $5.2 million. That brings her season earnings to $2,424,216 and her profession earnings to $11,361,489.

Winners had been leaping into Poppie’s Pond off the 18th inexperienced at Mission Hills since 1988, and Korda grew to become the second to do it in Texas by doing a cannonball off a small dock into brown-tinged water. World No. 2 Lilia Vu was first to leap into the pond right here after her win final season. Vu withdrew from this yr’s event earlier than the primary spherical after experiencing “extreme discomfort” in her again throughout warmups.

Whereas nonetheless shivering from her post-win plunge Sunday, Korda confirmed she’ll be competing within the JM Eagle LA Championship subsequent week in Los Angeles. She was then requested about the opportunity of changing into the primary to ever win six straight LPGA tournaments.

“I’m going to take pleasure in this proper every now and then I’ll take into consideration that,” she stated. “However yeah, it’s been an incredible time. Hopefully preserve the streak alive. However I’ve been so grateful to compete week in and week out and get the 5 in a row, too.”

Masters champion Scottie Scheffler is on an analogous tear, on his option to a fourth victory in 5 begins till rain interrupted the ultimate spherical of the RBC Heritage. He couldn’t assist however test in on Korda.

“I really was checking the scores this afternoon once we have been within the rain delay,” he stated. “I’m extraordinarily comfortable for her and happy with her. That’s some fairly particular stuff. It’s been a deal with to observe.”

Korda entered the final spherical one shot off the lead after finishing the final seven holes of the weather-delayed third spherical early Sunday morning on a windy and unseasonably cool day. She was worn out after her massive win as a result of she’d been up since 4 a.m. to organize for the tip of the third spherical.

She birdied two of her first 4 holes to take the lead. Lauren Coughlin birdied Nos. 13 and 14 to get inside two strokes, however bogeys on the sixteenth and seventeenth holes put her 4 behind. She shot a final-round 68 to complete tied for third with Brooke Henderson.

Coughlin bought emotional when discussing her greatest end in a serious.

“It’s actually cool to see all the work that I’ve put in, particularly with my placing and my brief recreation, and placing particularly confirmed off this week, as nicely,” she stated.

Henderson was tied with Korda for second to start out the final spherical after she shot a 64 within the third spherical to set a scoring file for the event since its transfer from Mission Hills, California, to Texas final yr. However the Canadian, who has 13 LPGA wins with two majors, additionally faltered early within the remaining spherical, with a bogey and a double bogey within the first 4 holes.

Haeran Ryu of South Korea shot a bogey-free 67 to enter the ultimate spherical main Korda by one. However the 2023 Rookie of the 12 months bogeyed the primary two holes of the fourth spherical. She closed with a 74 and completed fifth.

Eighteen-year-old newbie Jasmine Koo offered an unlikely spotlight on the 18th gap. Her second shot bounced off the promoting board within the water and again into play. She ended up with a birdie to shoot 71.

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AP Golf Author Doug Ferguson in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, contributed to this report.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf