Nelly Korda lands first Major title and claims top spot in world rankings
Nelly Korda secured her maiden Major title at the Women’s PGA Championship, defeating Lizette Salas by three shots to become the first American World No. 1 since Stacey Lewis in 2014.
The 22-year-old began the final round tied for the lead with Salas, five shots clear of their nearest challengers. It was always likely to descend into an 18-hole shoot-out and that’s exactly what played out at the Atlanta Athletic Club.
But it was Korda who made the decisive move. The Floridian carded her second eagle of the round on the par-5 12th to move four clear with just six holes to play. Although a double-bogey on 15 made it interesting, she would not be denied, finishing off her second straight victory with a closing 68 for a 19-under total, which included a tournament record-equalling 63 in the second round.
“I’ve put in a lot of hard work and to finally get a Major... I don’t even have the words,” Korda said. “This is something I have worked for since I was 14. Since I played in my first tournament I wanted to be a Major Champion and to get it done here, it’s really special. I just tried to keep a level head and take it one shot at a time.”