Carefree Korda tames Carnoustie playing like ‘little girl enjoying golf’
World No 1 shoots 67 to tie at the top with Sagstrom and Kim Hall and amateur Duncan lead home hopes a shot behind
Never mind the Beast of Angus, the opening skirmishes at the AIG Women’s Open turned into the Feast of Angus, as the golfers gorged on the unguarded, rain-softened links. Yet even in this windless freefor-all, the best player in the world still managed to finish the day on top. And so Nelly Korda’s astonishing run of form continues.
In 90 years of hosting majors, Carnoustie, brutal Carnoustie, had never witnessed so many players breaking par or better in the first round. Nearly half the 144-strong field accomplished that task on a North Sea coastline that has rarely seemed so benign and unimposing.
Yet with respect to all, particularly to Sweden’s Madelene Sagstrom and Sei-young Kim, of South Korea, who also shot 67s, it was the world No1 who stood out. Korda went out in the slow, dreich drizzle of the morning and looked completely unfazed. “I’m just going around like a little girl playing golf, enjoying myself in this cold weather,” she said.
The 23-year-old’s carefree words were as ominous as her pristine game and as daunting as her impeccable swing. In her past four events, Korda has won three times, including her first major at the Women’s USPGA and, less than two weeks ago, Olympic gold. Korda’s superiority has been written all over her scorecards. In her past 21 competitive rounds, she is a remarkable 87 under.
Poor Korda’s rivals. They headed to Scotland hoping that the expectation on her shoulders together with the fatigue of her travels and her comparative inexperience of seaside golf might combine to derail her domination. Think again. Armed with a mindset that is seemingly strengthening by the week, as well as with a game plan suggested by Karen Stupples, England’s 2004 winner of this event, Korda was on the horizontal side of laid-back.
“It was really chilly this morning, but honestly the wind wasn’t too strong, so I stayed pretty aggressive all day, and took advantage of my opportunities,” Korda said. “Yeah, obviously there are expectations, but I just try to keep my head down and go with the flow. To me, every day is a new day and it doesn’t matter what my ranking is.
“This is my third major on a links and the more I’m playing this type of golf, the more I’m learning. Plus I was talking to Karen during my proam yesterday and she pointed out that because the bunkers in the fairways are so penalising, it is sometimes better to play four-iron off the tee and another four-iron into the
green. It’s true. I felt comfortable, although this was cold compared to Tokyo and for a Florida girl.”
The locals will advise that these conditions were anything but “chilly” and yet still this 6,849-yard layout still managed to claim its victims. On her way to a 76, world No5 Danielle Kang played the last six holes in five over despite birdieing the 13th and 16th – if you are wondering how that is possible, a treblebogey eight on the 14th and a double-bogey sixth on the 15th were to blame – while Korda’s playing partner, England’s Charley Hull, double-bogeyed the first and 17th for a dispiriting 77 blighted by a back niggle.
In contrast, Korda was utterly impervious, bouncing back from the three bogeys she made on the fifth, 12th and 16th, with immediate birdies. In fact, after that four on the 16th – named by Jack Nicklaus as “the hardest par three in golf ” – Korda required only three shots on both the last imposing two holes. “I got lucky with my drive on 17 – I thought it was in the burn,” Korda said. “I told my caddie ‘great – that’s in the water’. So I was very relieved when I found it finished in front.”
By the afternoon, the test was yet more compliant. In a tie for fourth on four under comes the 2018 champion, England’s Georgia Hall, who already affords this event such hope of another home winner. Yet as valiant as Hall’s efforts were, it was the performance of the 21-year-old alongside that gave Britain its most rousing story of the day.
Scottish amateur Louise Duncan emulated the 68 not only of Hall, but also that of US Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso. Duncan is in dreamland, although everyone should beware the prospect of Carnoustie’s harsh reality turning up.