22 Apr 2024 | Professional golf |
Aussies fall short as Korda creates history at The Chevron
by Tony Webeck
The Aussie charge failed to materialise on a final day of The Chevron Championship that will be remembered for Nelly Korda’s history-making performance at The Club at Carlton Woods.
Due to the suspension of play on Saturday, Gabi Ruffels began an extended Sunday as Australia’s best hope for major glory, closing out her third round with a par at the par-5 18th to sit just outside the top 10 when Round 4 began.
She fought hard to overcome two early bogeys to be even par on her round through 12 holes but three successive bogeys and a double-bogey at the last saw the 24-year-old fall to a tie for 40th at 1-over par.
She finished level with Stephanie Kyriacou (75) as the leading Australian in the field but 14 shots back of Korda who clinched her second career major championship.
More significantly was a fifth straight tournament victory for the American, joining Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sorenstam (2004-2005) as the only players in LPGA Tour history to achieve the feat.
“It's just been a crazy, crazy, crazy couple of weeks, with some really solid golf,” said Korda.
“I can finally breathe. I was really nervous on that back nine.
“I really, really wanted this win. It feels amazing to get it.”
It was a record-breaking week, too, for the Australian contingent, the nine-strong Aussies in the field exceeding the previous mark of seven set three times previously.
When major champions Minjee Lee and Hannah Green failed to advance to the weekend, our best hopes lied with Ruffels and Kyriacou.
Albeit at a different venue, Ruffels had finished inside the top 25 in each of her three previous appearances in The Chevron Championship.
She would have done so again if not for her double-bogey on the 72nd hole.
Kyriacou sat inside the top 20 at the halfway mark but gradually lost ground over the final two rounds.
She played the final four holes of her third round in 1-over and then endured a horror start to the final round.
A birdie at the first was an encouraging start but three bogeys and a double-bogey in the space of five holes sent her tumbling down the leaderboard.
There were further bogeys at 11 and 12 but the 23-year-old showed great fighting spirit to make birdie at three of her final four holes to climb up off the canvas and finish alongside Ruffels.
Queenslander Robyn Choi (77) cashed her first cheque in a major championship with a tie for 54th as Sarah Kemp (80) and Karis Davidson (79) logged a further made cut in a major.
Photo: Gregory Shamus/Getty Images
The Chevron Championship The Club at Carlton Woods, The Woodlands, Texas 1 Nelly Korda 68-69-69-69—275 $US1.2m T40 Stephanie Kyriacou 72-69-73-75—289 $37,299 T40 Gabriela Ruffels 69-73-70-77—289 $37,299 T54 Robyn Choi 73-73-69-77—292 $23,365 T70 Sarah Kemp 70-73-75-80—298 $15,150 T72 Karis Davidson 72-74-74-79—299 $14,515 MC Grace Kim 76-72—148 MC Hannah Green 77-72—149 MC Minjee Lee 74-77—151 MC Hira Naveed 78-77—155
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