KUALA LUMPUR: Reigning Olympic champion Nelly Korda hopes to use the Maybank Championship, which tees off at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club (KLGCC) here tomorrow, to gear up for a late charge for glory in two season-ending tournaments in her hometown in Florida next month.
The 25-year-old former world number one, who suffered a back injury in late May, has endured a rollercoaster season so far, with seven top-10 finishes in 12 Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour events.
But the American is determined to use the Maybank Championship and next weekend’s Toto Japan Classic to prime herself for a tilt at winning her third straight title at The Annika, which is the 2023 season’s penultimate event, at the Pelican Golf Club in Florida from Nov 9-12.
The current world number six will then compete in the LPGA Tour season-ending event - the CME Group Tour Championship at the Tiburon Golf Club in Florida from Nov 16-19.
“I haven’t really been able to gain any form or momentum (after the injury). I think the season has been up and down, there have been really good finishes. At the beginning of the year, golf felt really easy, but then I got injured and the momentum of my season really shifted.
“So, kind of a little bit disappointing obviously, but that’s golf, right? You kind of have to ride the wave of it, got to put your head down and sometimes work. I’ve been doing that, and I am hoping for a momentum shift going into this week,” she told a press conference at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club here today.
The eight-time LPGA Tour winner, who is returning to Malaysia for the first time since taking part in the 2017 Sime Darby LPGA during her rookie year, is excited as she likes playing in such warm and humid weather conditions, similar to that found in Florida.
“I really enjoy playing, for me it’s a lot about the weather too...The grass, I enjoy playing on Bermuda grass, what I grew up on and played pretty much my whole life on,” she said as she enthused about going to the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur on Monday, exclaiming “I thought it was the biggest mall I’ve ever seen, I was very overwhelmed”.
Meanwhile, world number two Yin Ruoning, who is set to tee off for the first time in Malaysia, is also fond of the hot weather, which she said is similar to Shanghai’s summer.
“This week, a lot of my friends texted me, saying ‘you’ve got a chance to reclaim the top spot in world ranking’, but for me, I think I’m still making some adjustments to my swing.
“But, I just want to enjoy the city, enjoy playing in Malaysia and just do my best. I don’t want to think too much about it,” said the China golfer.
The Oct 26-29 Maybank Championship, which offers US$3 million (about RM14.34 million) in prize money, will feature 78 golfers, including six of the world’s top 10. -Bernama