Nelly Korda, fresh off a win last Sunday, has put herself back on top of the leaderboard this week.
Korda shares the first-round lead with Jennifer Kupcho and Austin Ernst at the LPGA Drive On Championship in Ocala, Florida.
All three fired 5-under 67s on Thursday to take a one-shot lead over Jing Yan and Jaye Marie Green.
Nelly’s sister, Jessica Korda, is among a large group of golfers at 3 under, two off the lead. The Korda sisters are grouped with World No. 1 Jin Young Ko, who is T-89 after an opening-round 75.
“I thought it was going to be fun,” Nelly said about the grouping with her sister. “This is the first time we’ve been paired together the first two days of an event.”
LPGA Drive On Championship: Leaderboard
Nelly Korda won her fourth LPGA title, and first on American soil, last week at the Gainbridge LPGA, one month after Jessica claimed the season-opening Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions.
Nelly indicated it’s been a fairly ho-hum last few days since her Gainbridge win.
“I took Monday off, did laundry, drove up here, got tested,” she said. “I was actually really tired. I just played nine and nine. I just tried to keep it pretty simple and easy.”
She made it look that way, posting five birdies—four of them in the stretch from 9 to 15—with no bogeys in her opening round.
Jessica Korda and Nelly Korda during the first round of the 2021 LPGA Drive On Championship at Golden Ocala Golf Club in Ocala, Florida. (Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Nelly, 22, moved up to No. 3 in the world after her victory in Orlando. Jessica, 28, dropped down to 18th after a tie for 31st.
Jessica said it was “awesome” playing with her sister but also said it felt like they were in a fishbowl. But playing with the World No. 1 was also really cool.
“Jin Young is such a nice person. We played together last week,” she said. “It’s always great being able to play with someone that’s just such a great all-around player and has been dominating our tour for what, two years, three years, however long she’s been out here.”
Golf Channel will have live coverage of the second round on Friday from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. The weekend coverage will be also be live from 2:30-5:30 p.m. ET.