THE WOODLANDS, Texas – Lottie Woad would like to meet Nelly Korda, but she’s admittedly too scared to make the approach. If the Florida State sophomore, fresh off a victory at Augusta National, keeps playing this well at the Chevron Championship, their meeting might happen naturally.
World No. 1 Korda is one shot back of leaders Jin Hee Im and Atthaya Thitikul at the Chevron Championship at 7 under, with amateur Woad sitting four shots back. Woad, 20, is making her LPGA debut this week while 25-year-old Korda has won her last four consecutive starts on tour.
Should Korda win a fifth title this week in Texas, she’d become the third player in tour history to enjoy that long of a victory streak, joining Annika Sorenstam (2004-05) and Nancy Lopez (1978).
“To win four in a row is insane,” said Woad, who earned a spot in this field by birdieing three of the last four holes at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur to win by a shot. She moved up to No. 2 in the World Golf Amateur Ranking after that victory.
Woad, who shot 69 on Friday, had to choose between joining her teammates at the ACC Championship this week and playing a major. With her coach’s blessing, she got the last seat on a flight to Houston.
Korda, meanwhile, opened Round 2 with a double bogey, hitting two shots from a fairway bunker. She bounced back with birdie on the second hole, however, and never looked back.
“I actually didn’t feel bad at all,” she said of the early misfire.
Lottie Woad of England plays a shot on the second hole during the second round of The Chevron Championship at The Club at Carlton Woods on April 19, 2024, in The Woodlands, Texas. (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
With the tees up 20 yards on the closing par 5, Korda hit 5-iron from 212 yards and two-putted for a closing birdie to shoot 69. Hae Ran Ryu, the 2023 Louise Suggs Rookie of the Year, carded a 66 to trail Korda by one.
Now, with a long wait before the start of her third round, Korda planned to get some lunch, get treatment and just chill.
“My parents are here,” she said, “so just going to go spend some time with them. Go get a good coffee and, yeah, just relax, watch a show or something.”
There’s a possibility of Korda and Woad playing together on Sunday at the Club of Carlton Woods on network television, though much can happen between now and then.
Plenty of folks on social media, however, view Korda’s victory as inevitable. Korda is quick to point out that it’s only the…
..
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Golfweek…