Golfer Nelly Korda says she finally has equal bragging rights with her elite sporting family after winning the Women’s Australian Open.
Korda’s two-shot victory on Sunday in Adelaide not only delivered her second LPGA Tour title.
It also added to her high-achieving family’s incredible stretch of sporting success in Australia.
Her father Petr is an Australian Open tennis champion; older sister Jessica won the Australian Open golf tournament seven years ago; and younger brother Sebastian claimed the Australian Open boys’ tennis title last year.
“I’m just happy to finally be a part of the club,” Korda said after coolly carding a five-under 67 final round at the Grange Golf Club to win at 17 under.
“There’s maybe something in the air here. We love coming down under and we really enjoy our time here.
“I just got off the phone with my dad and he’s like ‘well, congratulations, you’re part of the Korda slam now’.”
Petr and mother Regina – also a pro tennis player who represented Czechoslovakia at the 1988 Olympics – watched their daughter’s triumph from their home on the west coast of Florida.
Jessica, currently sidelined from the LPGA Tour because of a wrist injury, watched from Florida’s east coast. And Sebastian tuned in from Turkey moments before he played a Futures Tour match.
“When I was left out (of winning in Australia) they didn’t try to rub it in too much,” Korda said.
“Now that we all have a win down here, it’s going to be really special … obviously there was pressure but I think I finally carved my own way.”
Korda held off South Korea’s fast-finishing defending champion Jin Young Ko, who twice snuck within two shots while posting the day’s low round, eight-under 64.
Ko finished 15 under with Taiwan’s Wei-Ling Hsu third at 12 under.
The best-placed Australians were Hannah Green and Sarah Kemp, who finished eight under to tie for 10th.
Compatriot Minjee Lee finished seven under while five-time winner Karrie Webb, after shooting five-under in the opening round, finished three under for the tournament.
Australian Associated Press
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