The 2021 Pelican Women’s Championship provided end-to-end action during the last few holes of the tournament. Four players made it to the playoff, from which Tokyo Olympics gold medalist Nelly Korda emerged victorious. However, the game looked to be heading towards a relatively straightforward finish earlier when Korda shot a triple-bogey 7 in the penultimate hole. However, what happened between that and the final hole altered her fortune, along with some help.
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Nelly Korda goes on a rant after triple bogey on 17th
The stage was set at the Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida, for a thrilling finish as two of women’s golf superstars, Lexi Thompson and Nelly Korda, remained tied with two holes remaining. At the short par-4, Korda yanked her drive and missed a gimme, as she posted an awful 7 to all but wind up her chances of securing a win.
While Thompson herself missed a short putt of her own, she finished with a bogey and remained at a crucial two strokes lead ahead of the last hole. As Korda spoke about later, the conversation between her and caddie Jason McDede was anything but pleasant.
“You didn’t want to know what I was saying from the 18 tee box to the 18 iron shot,” Korda said. “I was definitely venting. There were definitely F-bombs flying around just here and there … I think it was good that I kind of got it out, that anger out because I was very angry after 17. I thought I lost it there.”
What happened at the final hole of the 2021 Women’s Pelican Championship?
On the advice of her caddy, Korda took a moment to calm her rage before her tee on the last hole. She made amends with some masterful strokes that culminated with a 20-feet birdie, which meant she stood a chance provided her closest challenger faltered.
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With the pressure building, it went all downhill for Thompson. Struggling with her short putting throughout the season, her weaknesses were further laid bare after she missed a match-winning putt to settle for a bogey and a four-horse race.
The game was decided in the first round of the playoff, which was played on the 18th hole. Korda picked up from where she started, while a clearly distraught Thompson couldn’t find her touch. “It’s a crazy game and I never give up,” Korda said. “Even though I say I think I lost hope, I will never give up. I’ll go down fighting every single time.”
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