Key occasions
Lydia Ko gently fist-pumps the air earlier than, a quiet celebration … however she might be celebrating correctly quickly, as a result of Nelly Korda’s race appears to be like run. She underhits her par putt on 17, not the primary timid stroke she’s made at the moment. Bogey, and she or he’ll must make an unlikely eagle on 18 if she’s to power a play-off.
Lydia Ko playing cards 69!
No hassle for Lydia Ko! She strokes within the left-to-right downhill slider, and that’s a ultimate spherical of 69! She units a mark that Nelly Korda and Lilia Vu might not be capable of match! A good likelihood that Ko has simply made the profitable putt.
-7: Ko (F)
-6: Korda (16), Vu (15)
Lydia Ko, the brand new Olympic champion, hits a golden shot into 18. Over the flag, spinning again to 5 ft. It’ll be a notoriously slippery downhill putt – poor previous Doug Sanders – but it surely’s the one Lottie Woad made. Very gettable. In the meantime again on 17, Nelly Korda can solely splash out from the Highway Gap bunker to fifteen ft, however that’s just about nearly as good as she may do with the restricted backswing and the lie, and hey, it may have been so a lot better. Two big putts arising.
Lydia Ko finds the center of the golf green on 18. She crosses the Swilcan Bridge with a giant smile on her face. Not trying so completely satisfied: Nelly Korda, who sends her tee shot at 17 into the thick tough down the left, then her second into the Highway Gap bunker. The ball solely simply topples in, and she or he won’t have a lot room for a backswing. Additionally barely involved: Lilia Vu, whose drive at 16 scampers into the tough on the left. She might need copped lie, although. We’ll see. However in the mean time, it’s benefit Ko.
Lydia Ko’s putt, from the shoulder of the Highway Gap bunker, by no means appears to be like like dropping. However that’s a high-quality par at a notoriously treacherous gap. Nelly Korda can’t make her birdie effort on 16. Lilia Vu practically drains one other monster, this time throughout 15, however her effort lips out. Nevertheless Vu’s enjoying accomplice Jiyai Shin blinks on the mistaken time: a three-putt bogey, although the massive mistake was a miscalculated strategy that bounded miles previous the flag.
-6: Ko (17), Korda (16), Vu (15)
-5: Yin (F), Jiyai Shin (15)
With the rain coming down in sheets, Lydia Ko whips a wonderful fairway wooden into the center of the seventeenth inexperienced. Fifteen, perhaps 20 ft from the flag. One of many pictures of the week. The shot of the week? Will probably be if she finally ends up profitable this title. Huge birdie likelihood arising. Again on 16, Nelly Korda units one up for herself, pin excessive and 12 ft away.
Ruoning Yin units up one other birdie likelihood on 18. As soon as once more her putt stops one dimple in need of dropping. So shut and but thus far. She’s the brand new clubhouse chief after a high-quality closing spherical of 70, however the drained look on her face speaks volumes. She is aware of the price of these two putts that did not drop at 17 and 18. An inch mixed, a few joules of vitality brief. She’s again within the massive home at -5. Most likely not fairly ok, however with the rain starting to fall and the wind choosing up, you by no means know.
Lydia Ko will get up and down from the again of 16. Nelly Korda takes two putts from distance on 15 for a nerve-settling par. Ruoning Yin’s birdie effort on 17 stops on the very fringe of the cup; simply (simply!) a par on the Highway Gap. Jiyai Shin is compelled to splash out sideways from the golf green bunker, however then will get up and down from the entrance of 14 for par. And Lilia Vu makes her birdie, so abruptly there’s a four-way tie on the prime … and all of them world quantity ones in some unspecified time in the future of their profession!
-6: Ko (16), Korda (15), Vu (14), Jiyai Shin (14)
-5: Yin (17)
-3: Jutanugarn (F)
Lottie Woad wins Smyth Salver as low novice
Lottie Woad, the 20-year-old sensation from Surrey, has a silver medal to go together with her Augusta Nationwide title! She steers within the left-to-right downhill birdie putt on 18, and ends the week in purple figures at -1. Woad appears to be like ahead to a wonderful profession tossing her orb about. (A deal with for the Withnail heads there.)
Ruoning Yin is making a late run for the title. The 2023 PGA Champion attracts a stunning second into the Highway Gap and can have have a look at birdie. Lilia Vu units up an awesome likelihood too, wedging to 6 ft on 14. And there’ll be a have a look at birdie from comparable distance for Lottie Woad on 18. She’s acquired the silver medal within the bag now, no matter occurs, however what a technique to end if she will make that.
Lydia Ko’s second into 16 takes an enormous kick ahead. Lengthy and left, and snagged in some filthy tough. Again on 15, Nelly Korda splits the golf green. And additional again on 14, Jiyai Shin finds a fairway bunker with shot quantity two, whereas Lilia Vu lays up comfortably. Good luck appropriately predicting the result of this one.
Nelly Korda prods with nice uncertainty at her bogey putt. It dies off to the correct and that’s a double-bogey seven. Swiftly this match, which seemed like Korda’s for the taking, is again within the steadiness! As she departs the inexperienced, she effs and jeffs within the irritated model. No marvel: the world primary seemed in full management of her recreation, just for the wheels to abruptly clank off.
-6: Ko (15), Korda (14), Jiyai Shin (13)
-5: Yin (16), Vu (13)
-3: Jutanugarn (F)
Lydia Ko provides her par putt assured run, but it surely doesn’t drop. She slips again to -6, and Nelly Korda’s lead is as soon as once more two strokes. However for the way lengthy? Not too lengthy, it might appear, as a result of Korda’s chip up from the again of 14 is underhit, not fairly getting up a financial institution and toppling again down the swale. She chips up once more, and practically holes out, however the ball rolls three ft previous and that’s a bit tester to restrict the harm to bogey.
Hassle for Lydia Ko, who sends her second at 15 right into a greenside pot bunker. She does effectively to smash out to fifteen ft, taking a full face’s value of sand in doing so. However that’s a giant putt arising. Nevertheless there’s some hassle for Nelly Korda again on the par-five 14th; her third, from thick gorse, flies by way of the inexperienced and over the again. Huge up-and-down arising, too.
Any faint likelihood Jeeno Thitikul had is extinguished on 15. A par putt horseshoes out and the previous world primary drops to -3.
A bogey-birdie end for Ariya Jutanugarn. The 2016 champion indicators for a ultimate spherical of 70 and turns into the brand new clubhouse chief at -3. In the meantime two no-fuss putts for Nelly Korda on 13, and she or he stays one away from Lydia Ko.
This isn’t over but, although. Lydia Ko fires her second at 14 straight on the flag, then teases within the right-to-left six-footer for a birdie that takes her to inside a shot of the lead. Then up on 15, birdie for Ruoning Yin, and abruptly a match that was starting to really feel like a procession could be very a lot again within the steadiness!
-8: Korda (12)
-7: Ko (14)
-6: Jiyai Shin (12)
-5: Yin (15), Vu (12)
Lottie Woad practically drains a birdie putt on 15 from 108 ft. Faucet in for par. She’s degree, and one step nearer to that silver medal. In the meantime in different monster-putt information, Lilia Vu sends a 60-footer up and throughout the warped LP that’s the twelfth inexperienced to like again to inside three pictures at -5. Seems enjoying shortly can profit one’s recreation.
Birdie for Jeeno Thitikul at 14. She joins the group at -4. However proper now all of it appears futile, as a result of Nelly Korda is within the zone. The chief finds 13 in regulation and can have one other have a look at birdie. She doesn’t appear to be making a mistake proper now. In whole management of her recreation. Thoughts you, major-championship golf and all that. In the meantime the ultimate group have been informed to rush up.
Lilia Vu is normally such a reliable putter. However the flat stick is abruptly betraying the defending champ. The camber of the inexperienced on the par-three eleventh takes her tee shot effectively broad proper. She misreads a giant right-to-left swinger, sending the putt eight ft previous. Then she knocks the one coming again 4 ft previous. She does fairly effectively to knock in her third putt and restrict the harm. However that’s back-to-back bogeys. In the meantime an analogous story for her enjoying accomplice Jiyai Shin: a tee shot despatched broad proper of the flag, then three putts. Swiftly, Nelly Korda has a bit cushion on the prime of the leaderboard.
-8: Korda (12)
-6: Ko (13), Jiyai Shin (11)
-4: Yin (14), Vu (11)
Birdie for Ariya Jutanugarn on 16. The 2-time main winner returns to -3. A few pars house, and she or he’ll be the brand new clubhouse chief. A kind of holes being the Highway Gap, that’s simpler stated than accomplished in fact. And that’s earlier than you issue within the wind, which is starting to significantly blow.
Welcome to the beginning of the 2024 Ladies’s Open, as the ultimate pair hit the activate major-championship Sunday. It’s not excellent news for the defending champion. Lilia Vu, having parred each gap on the entrance 9, makes bogey at 10, severely undercooking a protracted birdie putt. The misjudgement knocks her again to -5. Par for her enjoying accomplice Jiyai Shin.
-8: Korda (11)
-7: Jiyai Shin (10)
-6: Ko (12)
-5: Vu (10)
-4: Yin (13)
-3: Saigo (14), Thitikul (13), Jenny Shin (11)
A fortunate break for Nelly Korda, who catches lie within the Strath bunker. However you continue to want a magic contact to get shut, which she does, regardless of being short-sided. A fragile splash out, completely judged over the face and over a ridge, the ball rolling right down to kick-in distance. That’s a beautiful shot, and what a sandy par. She’s not world primary for nothing. She stays one in entrance at -8. One other bogey for her enjoying accomplice Jenny Shin, although, and at -3 her race appears to be like run.
… so having stated that, Nelly Korda dumps her tee shot at 11 into the pot bunker guarding the entrance of the inexperienced. The Strath bunker, named after Davie Strath, a late-Nineteenth-century professional who didn’t very like moving into it. The good Bobby Jones had his points there too, as associated on this previous Pleasure of Six. God pace, Nelly.
… he ripped his scorecard into tiny items, despatched them scattering into the breeze, and stomped off carrying a glance later described by onlookers as “puzzled dislike” …
It’s three birdies in 4 holes for the world primary Nelly Korda! Regardless of the wind whipping across the Outdated Course, she makes golf look really easy as she saunters down the tenth. A clean drive, a mild second pin excessive to 12 ft, the putt calmly rolled in. No hesitation, no faff, enjoying fully inside herself. Her enjoying accomplice Jenny Shin ought to make birdie too, after a surprising second to 4 ft, however Shin permits the wind to get inside her head, and when she finally pulls the set off, the ball squirts broad proper. Korda’s lead-stretching birdie in all probability didn’t assist both, to be truthful.
-8: Korda (10)
-7: Jiyai Shin (8)
-6: Ko (11), Vu (8)
-4: Yin (12), Jenny Shin (10)
Lydia Ko doesn’t just like the par-three eleventh. In any respect. Bogey on Thursday, bogey on Friday, bogey on Saturday. It appears to be like like she’ll make it a full home of distress because the robust wind practically knocks her off her ft whereas standing over a four-foot par saver … however she steps away, waits for the gust to die down a bit, and finally rams within the putt. That’s a superb save, and she or he stays at -6.
Jiyai Shin can’t benefit from her high-quality tee shot at 8. Her eight-foot birdie effort shoved broad proper. She hops in irritation; nonetheless smiling although. She’s all the time smiling.
One other birdie for Nelly Korda! She pours one in from 12 ft on 9 to hit the flip in 34. In the meantime birdie for Lydia Ko up on 10. And again on 8, Jiyai Shin sends a forensic iron straight on the flag, and she or he’ll take a look at birdie from eight ft or so. After a sluggish begin, that is effervescent up deliciously.
-7: Korda (9), Jiyai Shin (7)
-6: Ko (10), Vu (7)
-4: Yin (12), Jenny Shin (9)
The 54-hole chief has gone on to win the Ladies’s Open in every of the final 5 stagings. Jiyai Shin is of course desirous of protecting that run going, and she or he fist-pumps the air after pinging her second at 7 to 6 ft and nailing the putt. The birdie – the primary within the ultimate pairing – provides her sole management of the match once more.
-7: Jiyai Shin (7)
-6: Korda (8), Vu (7)
-5: Ko (9)
-4: Yin (11), Jenny Shin (8)
-3: Saigo (13), Jutanugarn (13), Thitikul (10)
-2: Iwai (F), Alexander (13), Pano (9)
Lottie Woad misses a brief putt on 12 and slips again to degree par. She’s nonetheless acquired a three-stroke cushion on fellow novice Julia Lopez Ramirez, who’s within the clubhouse at +3. However the battle for the Smyth Salver continues to bubble away.
Jenny Shin pulls her tee shot broad left of the par-three eighth. She does effectively to chip as much as 4 ft, however the par putt is pulled as effectively. A gust of wind might need put her off there. She slips again to -4, two off the tempo.
We’ve got a brand new clubhouse chief. Anne van Dam held the place for 3 hours, at degree par, however Akie Iwai has put her identify on the backside of a card of 69 and ends her week at -2. That’ll be surpassed, however not, you would possibly suspect, by too many pictures, given the best way the wind is whipping across the Outdated Course on the minute.
