BELLEAIR, Fla. — Charley Hull, recent off her first victory in additional than two years, did not lose her type from Saudi Arabia to Florida in opening with a 6-under 64 on Thursday to share the lead with Jiwon Jeon after the primary spherical of The Annika.
Nelly Korda hasn’t misplaced a lot from being out of competitors for practically two months. The No. 1 participant within the girls’s world rating had 4 birdies over her final 5 holes to salvage a 66.
Hull gained two weeks in the past within the Aramco Crew Sequence-Riyadh, a 54-hole event on the Women European Tour. It was her first title since successful in Texas on the LPGA Tour in 2022.
“I really feel like I have been enjoying very, very nicely all 12 months,” Hull mentioned. “Generally you simply neglect learn how to win. In order that’s sort of jogged my memory learn how to win.”
It was a terrific begin for Jeon, significantly her hole-in-one on the par-3 third gap at Pelican Golf Membership. She additionally had six birdies to offset a pair of bogeys.
She hit a hybrid — the equal of a 4-iron — on the 182-yard third gap, and in contrast to a few of her earlier aces, she really noticed it go in.
“I had precisely the identical yardage the final gap for the second shot, so I used to be speaking to my caddie, ‘Like simply hit the identical shot?’ Then I hit it after which I noticed the one bounce and went within the gap,” she mentioned. “It was very cool to see the hole-in-one really going into the opening.”
Jeon is No. 98 within the Race to CME Globe, and that is the final event for gamers to get into the highest 60 and qualify for the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship subsequent week down the Gulf Coast of Florida in Naples.
Simply attending to the finale is not all that issues — whoever wins claims a $4 million prize and is asserted the Race to CME Globe champion.
Even when Jeon would not make it, the highest precedence is maintaining her LPGA card. The highest 100 are assured of full standing for 2025.
“Clearly, I wish to maintain my card for subsequent 12 months, however I attempt not to consider it an excessive amount of,” she mentioned. “I actually gave the whole lot for final three days’ apply. I [was] attempting to determine what I’ve to do out right here after which actually give attention to like every shot. After which I feel that work actually paid off immediately. I wish to proceed to do the identical factor for the remainder of the event.”
Korda tuned up for The Annika by enjoying 9 holes within the pro-am with WNBA star Caitlin Clark, and he or she hit her stride towards the top. Coming off back-to-back bogeys that introduced her again to even par for the day, Korda ran off her string of birdies, ending her day by chipping in from off the 18th inexperienced.
She final performed Sept. 22 on the Kroger Queen Metropolis Championship, withdrawing from two occasions in Asia due to a neck damage. This was her first time strolling 18 holes in practically two months.
“Was undoubtedly somewhat nervous on the primary couple holes, simply not figuring out what to anticipate of my recreation as a result of I’ve not been enjoying an excessive amount of,” Korda mentioned. “Beneath stress it is vitally totally different from whenever you simply sort of exit on a cart by your self and also you sort of simply play a spherical. However fairly proud of the best way I performed. Hit a pair free pictures in the midst of the spherical, however apart from that, I imply, that is one thing that I can work on.”
Gemma Dryburgh and Mi Hyang Lee have been one shot behind at 65. Lee got here into the week at No. 59, so this was an enormous step in ensuring she will get to increase her season.