Maineville, OHIO − Many LPGA golfers enjoy the change of pace that comes with the tour’s team events.
Last week, world number one Nelly Korda helped Team USA reach its first Solheim Cup victory since 2017. Korda may have cherished that title even more than the half-dozen victories she recorded on the LPGA Tour this year.
“It’s really hard to compare the two. Maybe a little more fun, I would say,” Korda said. “It’s so different having a teammate that you can have fun with and rely on. It’s just a little less pressure and a lot more fun.”
Korda made history this season by becoming just the fourth player on tour to win six before June, joining a trio of Hall of Famers Babe Zaharias, Louise Suggs and Lorena Ochoa. The 26-year-old American now has to shift gears before heading to Maineville this week for her first appearance at the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G.
The team atmosphere that reigned during last week’s triumph in Gainesville, Virginia, is gone. She is once again the prey with a target on her back.
“I hate all the girls again,” Korda joked Wednesday when asked about the change in mindset when he returns to single-shot play.
Her LPGA rivals aren’t going to completely turn away from their friendly relationship. In fact, Korda has climbed to the top of the standings by securing a spot. She’ll follow the same formula in Cincinnati.
“You really have to be specific and diligent about your goals and focus on that,” Korda said. “I just have to go out and have fun, play good golf, stay in my bubble and take a chance on it once and for all.”
More: Here’s what LPGA players said about TPC River’s Bend for the Kroger Queen City Championship
Cincinnati is a city recovering quickly for Solheim Cup competitors
The only thing that could seemingly stop Korda this week is jet lag.
It was a tough turnaround for the 11 Solheim Cup competitors who traveled to Maineville this week at TPC River’s Bend for the penultimate event of the current U.S. leg of the LPGA Tour.
Add to that a celebration Sunday night for the Solheim Cup victory and many of the world’s best players are excited to start the tournament.
“My energy level is definitely around 50 percent,” Rose Zhang said. “Not only has the last week been very mentally challenging, but we’ve also been sleeping five to six hours a day.”
Luckily for Korda, she’s a big coffee drinker and doesn’t waste time sightseeing before events. She cut the Soleheim Cup celebration short early Sunday night, took a noon flight, arrived in Cincinnati around 2 p.m. Monday, checked into her rental home and relaxed.
“I’ve been in bed a lot more this week than usual. I’m trying to conserve some energy,” Korda said. “I’ve just been resting.”
Korda in the race after the first lap
It was a tired Korda who showed up at the 8:20 a.m. start on Thursday morning. Korda didn’t let lack of sleep cause him to make any costly mistakes.
Korda, partnered with defending Kroger Queen City Championship champion Minjee Lee and Jeeno Thitikul, shot a bogey-free 67. She was perfect on the fairways (14 of 14) and found 14 of 18 greens in regulation. Three of her five birdies came in a six-hole stretch. Her birdie on the 18th hole gave her a 67, good enough for a tie for fourth.
This article was originally published in the Cincinnati Enquirer: Kroger Queen City Championship: Will Nelly Korda win her 7th LPGA event?
