LONDON: Nelly Korda has confirmed she is fully fit and eager to enhance her Aramco Team Series record when she tees up at Centurion Club, London, this Friday.
The world No. 2 won the Aramco Team Series Sotogrande last year and finished second and fourth in her two other ATS starts, both in New York. This week sees her initial appearance at Aramco Team Series presented by 海角直播鈥檚 Public Investment Fund in London, and she is hungry for a first success in 2023.
Korda has overcome an injury and believes her best golf is not far away, despite missing the cut in the KPMG Women鈥檚 PGA Championship in June and finishing tied-64th in last week鈥檚 US Women鈥檚 Open.
Korda, 24, said: 鈥淚 feel very close with my game 鈥 the scores may not seem it right now.
鈥淎t the start of the year I had a really strong start. I was barely finishing outside the top 10 and then had two missed cuts. Last week at Pebble (Beach) wasn鈥檛 the greatest of showings, but I think that鈥檚 golf and you just got to take it how it is, and you have to grow from it. I mean, that鈥檚 when you appreciate the highs when you go through the lows.鈥
Korda is an advocate of the innovative format of the Aramco Team Series in which the first two days see 36 teams target the lion鈥檚 share of a $500,000 prize pot. Each quartet has a captain who selects one teammate at a players鈥 draft, while they are also allocated a further professional with an amateur. The last 18 of the tournament are for professionals only when there is a further $500,000 on offer.
Korda said: 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 a super fun event. Especially the team aspect of it, I think it brings in a different kind of energy. It鈥檚 fun, it鈥檚 light, and it makes golf a lot of fun, having teammates out there with you.鈥
Korda鈥檚 opening look at the Centurion Club came this morning and followed up a visit yesterday to the Wimbledon tennis tournament where she 鈥渢ried strawberries and cream for the first time 鈥 really yummy.鈥
She said: 鈥淚 played the back nine 鈥 it鈥檚 a really nice golf course, in really nice condition. The wind started picking up towards the end and I know high winds are forecast for the week, so I think it鈥檒l be a tricky test.
鈥淓very single time I tee up, I try to play my best. There鈥檚 only one goal in mind, and that鈥檚 to hopefully hold the trophy at the end of the week. So I鈥檓 going to give it my all and see how it goes.鈥
Bronte Law delivered one of the moments of the 2022 season when she sunk an incredible long-range eagle putt on the 18th green to win the last renewal of Aramco Team Series 鈥 London. And this week the Englishwoman has already revisited the scene of one of the most dramatic strokes of her career.
鈥淲e actually just recreated the putt on 18, so that was fun,鈥 said Law. 鈥淚t鈥檚 great to be back. I think each victory has kind of a special place just for different reasons. This one being in front of a home crowd, in front of my family 鈥 each time I鈥檓 in a situation like that, it just feels really nice to share that with them.鈥
Law finished tied-45th in the US Women鈥檚 Open but was encouraged by much of her play over the week.
She said: 鈥淚 played really nicely last week. I mean, Pebble鈥檚 a beast so didn鈥檛 have the Sunday that I wanted, but I hit a lot of really good shots. Overall, my golf is in a pretty good place now.鈥