After firing a historic 60 in the third round of the LPGA’s Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, Jessica Korda came back to Four Seasons Golf and Sports Club in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, on Sunday to finish off her first title since 2018.
Danielle Kang took the lead into the final round of the LPGA’s season-opener, but a few late stumbles on the back nine cleared the way for Korda to defeat her in sudden death.
Both finished regulation at 24 under. In fading daylight, the two headed back to the par-3 18th. Ultimately, Korda poured in a birdie bomb and Kang couldn’t match it.
With the TOC title, Korda claims her sixth career LPGA title. She has proved to be formidable in season-opening events, having won the first tournament on the schedule three times before, at the 2018 Honda LPGA Thailand, 2014 Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic and 2012 Handa Women’s Australian Open.
In regulation, Kang, who won back-to-back titles after the LPGA’s late-summer restart in 2020, had to go head-to-head with both Korda sisters. A formidable final group also included Nelly Korda, who finished third, two shots back.
Kang and Jessica Korda were tied by the time they reached the 18th hole. Both had birdied the 17th hole. Korda picked up ground with birdies at Nos. 13, 14 and 16. Kang played that stretch in even par, logging a birdie at the par-3 14th but making bogey at No. 15 before salvaging a par from the pine straw right of the short par-4 16th.
On the final hole, as music blared from the loudspeakers (and Korda mouthed the words and danced on the back of the tee), Kang and Korda both left themselves with long birdie putts for the win and both left them short to force the playoff.
It was considerably more quiet by the time Kang and Korda circled back to the 18th – at least until Korda jarred one for victory.
