Five Takeaways from Jessica Korda's Win at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions

Photo provided by Ben Harpring

Here are five takeaways from Jessica Korda's win at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions.

1) Playoffs? We’re talking Playoffs?

On Championship Sunday in the NFL, the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions delivers its second playoff in the three years it has partnered with the LPGA Tour. Unlike the 2020 edition, this year didn't extend to Monday as Jessica Korda slammed the door with a 35-footer that was true as soon as it left her putter.

Danielle Kang had an opportunity to respond, sitting slightly above Korda with a stronger right to left break, but it slipped away like her four-shot lead from the start of the round.

The highest-ranked American in the world held steady early, with a three-shot lead over both Kordas with six holes to go. After the 12th and the telecast flipped from Golf Channel to NBC, the momentum flipped from Kang to the Kordas.

The first trim of the lead came on the par 5 13th, with both Kordas birdieing and Kang settling for par. Nelly birdied her fourth straight and six of the last seven to charge back from seven shots back on the 8th tee to within two on the 14th tee.

Kang and the older Korda both birdied the 14th to separate from Nelly. Kang bogeyed the 15th to surrender another stroke to the Kordas. Jessica kept the momentum going on the driveable par four 16th, putting it greenside off the tee. Kang found the trees and punched out to set up a clutch up and down to keep it all square with two holes to go. Nelly missed a short uphill look after a greenside chip for birdie and trailed by two with the par five 17th remaining.

The 18th was the prelude, with Nelly’s ball sitting two feet behind Jessica’s, with both having lengthy birdie bids. All three players settled for par, but before Korda’s fist-pump moment, she saw the line twice, which she followed dead into the heart of the cup for her first win since 2018, and her sixth career win.

2) Jessica Korda’s Return to the Winner’s Circle

Korda forced her way into the final group Sunday with the fifth 60 in the LPGA Tour Saturday history, with a nine-under back nine that capped off with playing the last five holes at six strokes under par. It was a birthday gift to her father, who turned 53 Saturday.

The victory is Korda's fourth career win in her first start of a season, with the title in Lake Buena Vista joining the 2012 Handa Australian Open, the 2014 Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic, and the 2018 Honda LPGA Thailand.

“No idea (On winning at the start of the year). Everyone says low expectations, but I always expect -- I don't show up to a tournament just to show up. I'm too old for that,” the 27-year-old explained.

Korda has battled a litany of injuries over the years that feels as long as her playoff winning putt. In 2017, Korda withdrew from the Solheim Cup due to a wrist injury. She still had screws in her face when she won in Thailand in 2018. She withdrew due to injury from defending that title in '19 and withdrew from the AIG Women's Open due to medical reasons in 2020.

“Let me tell you, I've been down. My family is everything. They're my biggest support system. They believe in me more than I believe in myself,”

The family picked up her dog Charlie before celebrating Korda’s sixth career win, the first time they were able to celebrate one of her victories together.

3) The American Triumvirate

“You guys finally get what you wanted,” the elder Korda shared after play Sunday. Three of the top Americans in the world played together for two hours on NBC, an optimal exposure moment for the tour. The Korda sisters played together for the first time over their careers in the final grouping on Sunday.

The LPGA Tour made decisions to set up the final group to maximize its time on NBC, which it pays for. Instead of grouping two celebrities with each LPGA player, the three highest-scoring celebs in the modified Stableford scoring category played ahead of the final LPGA group of Nelly Korda, Jessica Korda and Danielle Kang.

It was a firework-filled day, and with the victory, the older Korda is moving closer to representing the red, white and blue at the 2021 Olympics. The field finalizes on June 28th, after the Evian Championship. Four representatives can come from a country if all four players are within the top 15 in the world. Before this week, Nelly was in 4th, Kang was in 5th, and Jessica was in 23rd.

4) Danielle Kang’s Bogey Free Streak Snaps

Kang’s crucial bogey on the 15th culminated an 84-hole bogey-free run, dating back to the final round of the CME Group Tour Championship. The American nearly won after a break again, as she took home the Drive On Championship at Inverness Club when the 2020 season rebooted.

Kang prepared for only a week and a half before the tournament. She's looking to the break after this event to get ready for the '21 campaign.

“I looked at this tournament as more of a fun one and a pre-season starter. It's like there is no better way to kick off the season than with this event, so I'm really just excited to be here,” Kang shared on Tuesday.

It's an impressive performance for someone viewing the event as a pre-season start. While the bogey-free streak snapped, it was the lone mistake on Kang's Four Seasons Golf & Resort Course scorecard over four rounds. The 2020 Vare Trophy winner is looking to the next four weeks off to get her game in shape for the Gainbridge LPGA, the first full event of the year.

5) Red White and Blue Strong Performance in the Soft Open to the LPGA Tour Calendar

Seven Americans finished in the top 10 in the 25-player field, with Brittany Lincicome (T7) Lexi Thompson (T7), Cheyenne Knight (T5) and Angela Stanford (T5) joining all three in the final group.

Notably, Lincicome recorded her second top 10 since the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in October. The major champion is regaining form after the birth of her daughter Emery in July of 2019.

If seven Americans finish in the top 10 the rest of the season, the U.S. Solheim Cup team has a fantastic problem on their hands.

Bets of the Week Analysis

Sophia Popov (+3500)- 10th

Celine Boutier (+3000)- T11

M.J. Hur (+2800)- T22

As my podcast co-host so kindly noted, my three picks did finish inside the top 25. Ben just left out that it was a 25-person event. None of them were in contention Sunday. There's less data than most events on this one and a small sample size of winners. Next up, the Gainbridge LPGA, in late February.

2021 Results

Units Bet: 15

Units Won: 0

ROI: N/A