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sports Diaranson 1 Juni 2022

Nelly Korda returns to golf not a moment too early

By DOUG FERGUSON and now belongs to Jin Young
AP Golf Writer Ko, who beat out Korda for
Nelly Korda has a coach the Race to CME Globe title
who knows all about top in the final event last year.
golfers returning from an The U.S. Women's Open
injury, how patience and has no shortage of compel-
belief can be just as criti- ling angles this year at Pine
cal as any physical therapy. Needles. The prize money
of $10 million is the richest
Among the messages Jamie in women's golf. Michelle
Mulligan offered the 23-year- Wie West is back in the area
old Korda is that no one ever where she won her only ma-
returned from an injury too jor at Pinehurst No. 2. Anni-
late, even if that means start- ka Sorenstam is playing at age
ing on the biggest stage in 51, eligible from winning the
women's golf. U.S. Senior Women's Open.
"I didn't want my first event The LPGA Tour is showing
back being the U.S. Women's balance again with 13 win-
Open," Korda said with a ners in 13 events. Korda feels
smile after playing nine holes as though she's starting from
at Pine Needles. "I was just scratch, and it can feel like a
more thinking like I want to sprint — the Women's Open,
be 100%, and that's all I was then a title defense in Michi-
thinking. And then when Coach of the Year, has been LPGA titles, her first major at belief. "Even when you're gan and the Women's PGA.
I was 100%, I was going to running Virginia for 22 years the Women's PGA Champi- sitting there, nothing is going But at least she's starting,
set my eyes on what event I and has a long list of pupils. onship, a rise to No. 1 in the to happen with your golf," he even if the expectations are
could come back at." One was John Cook, who world and an Olympic gold said. "It's been fun to watch minimal.
Korda hasn't played since had to stop midway through medal in Tokyo. her prepare." "To tee up and to hit my first
Feb. 5, when she wrapped the 1989 season because of a And then she started 2022 In some respects, the U.S. shot on Thursday. That is as
up a three-week start to the broken hand. He rose to No. with COVID-19, followed Women's Open last year at far as I'm looking right now,"
LPGA season in Florida with 3 on the PGA Tour money by a blood clot two months Olympic Club is where it all she said. "I've been out of
a tie for 15th. About a month list a few years later. More later. "She understood the began for Korda. She missed competition since early Feb-
later, she was gearing up for recently was Patrick Cantlay, big picture," Mulligan said the cut and then began a run ruary, and I'm honestly just
the California swing that in- whose back injury was so se- Tuesday at Pine Needles in a that took over the LPGA grateful to be out here. I'm
cluded the first major of the vere it kept him out for the brief chat after working with Tour. going to take it one step at a
year when she felt swelling in better part of three years. big sister Jessica Korda before Korda won the Meijer LPGA time. I'm not expecting too
her left arm. To see Korda deliver such meeting Nelly on the range. Classic in Michigan, came much.
Turns out it was a blood clot an athletic, graceful swing is "She understood she needed down to Atlanta and won "Honestly, I'm trying not to
in the subclavian vein, and to be easily impressed. What to take the right steps. You the KPMG Women's PGA think about it too much, and
she had surgery in April. The also caught Mulligan's atten- can't come back too late. She to reach No. 1 in the world, I'm just more grateful that
rehab was in California so she tion was how she handled used her full capacity to train and then a month later was I'm out here, I'm being able
could be close to Mulligan, an injury that kept her away in order to mend the right posing on the top podium to compete, and I'm seeing all
the CEO of Virginia Country for longer than Korda would way, to keep her composure with an Olympic gold medal the girls, too."
Club in Long Beach. have wanted. and be comfortable with it." draped around her neck. Mulligan would be the first
Mulligan, honored in Janu- She was coming off the best There was one other message The No. 1 ranking didn't last to tell her it was worth the
ary as the PGA Teacher & year in women's golf — four from Mulligan related to the long at the start of this year wait.

Prescod clocks 9.93 to win 100 meters at Golden Spike

OSTRAVA, Czech Repub- Prescod showed blistering ish first in 12.56 seconds. ing in her farewell season, the men's high jump.
lic (AP) — British sprinter pace over the last 20 meters Pia Skrzyszowska of Poland with the American having In the rarely contested wom-
Reece Prescod became to surge ahead of Yohan Blake was second in 12.65 ahead announced that she is retiring en's 300 hurdles, Femke Bol
the first European man to of Jamaica and clock a per- of American Nia Ali, who at the end of the year. of the Netherlands clocked
break 10 seconds in the 100 sonal best time despite run- clocked 12.69 in third. Ethiopia's Lamecha Girma the fastest time ever to win
meters this season, clock- ning into a headwind. Blake Seven-time Olympic cham- dominated the men's 3,000 in 36.86, more than one sec-
ing 9.93 seconds to win was second in 10.05. pion Allyson Felix finished steeplechase with a world- ond faster than the previous
the Golden Spike meet on In the women's 100 meter second in the women's 200, leading time of 7 minutes, best of 38.16 set by Zuzana
Tuesday. hurdles, Olympic champion more than half a second be- 58.68 seconds. Hejnova in 2013. The event
Jasmine Camacho-Quinn hind Aminatou Seyni of Ni- Another Olympic champion, does not have an official
of Puerto Rico recovered ger who won in 22.21. The Gianmarco Tamberi of Italy, world record.
from a slow start to fin- 36-year-old Felix is compet- cleared 2.30 meters to win Jerome Blake of Canada won
the men's 200 in a photo fin-
ish ahead of U.S. sprinter Eli-
jah Hall, with both clocking
20.14.
Kenyan 17-year-old Emman-
uel Wanyonyi won the men's
800 in 1:44.15 while Diribe
Welteji led an Ethiopian
sweep of the women's 1,500
in 3:59.19 ahead of Ayal Dag-
nachew and Netsanet Desta.
World champion Anderson
Peters of Grenada claimed the
men's javelin with a throw of
87.88 meters.