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A16 SPORTS
Wednesday 24 april 2024

Golf has two dominant forces in Scheffler and Korda.

It didn’t happen overnight

By DOUG FERGUSON shots and I was like ... yeah,
AP Golf Writer I felt like I hit a lot of qual-
HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. ity shots, and the ball was
(AP) — Golf went a decade coming out of the face. It
without being able to iden- seemed like if a shot didn’t
tify a dominant player. And end up where I wanted it
then within the last month, to, it was probably just a
the sport suddenly has two little gust of wind.”
of them. Korda and Scheffler will
Scottie Scheffler won his disappear now for a few
first PGA Tour event in the weeks.
Phoenix Open two years Korda withdrew from the
ago and now he has 10 JM Eagle LA Championship
tour titles, two of them at on Monday probably a
the Masters. smart move for her and the
Not only is he the No. 1 long year ahead, brutal for
player in the world, he has the LPGA just when it was
double the average points poised to create room on
of the next player, Rory Mc- the Nelly bandwagon and
Ilroy. That hasn’t happened is not expected back un-
since Tiger Woods doubled til May 9 for the Cognizant
the world ranking lead over Founders Cup.
Phil Mickelson in the sum- Scheffler said he will not be
mer of 2008. back until the PGA Cham-
Nelly Korda went through pionship on May 16-19. His
2023 without winning on Scottie Scheffler waves after winning the weather delayed RBC Heritage golf tournament, Monday, wife, Meredith, is expect-
the LPGA Tour her only title April 22, 2024, in Hilton Head Island, S.C. ing to give birth to their
was the Aramco Series in Associated Press first child by the end of the
London on the Ladies Euro- before Korda won the first crowd in Bradenton, Flori- No one is better from tee to month.
pean Tour and ended the of her 13 LPGA titles. da, skipped the entire Asia green, which can make his Scheffler is approaching
year at No. 5 in the wom- Korda first rose to No. 1 swing, returned after seven putting seem worse than it a full year at No. 1 in the
en’s world ranking. Now when she captured the weeks off and won four in really is. He got into some world, a rarity in men’s golf.
she is in the LPGA record KPMG Women’s PGA at a row. bad habits last year that Dustin Johnson (64 weeks)
book with five straight vic- Atlanta Athletic Club, and Her victory at the Chevron made the putter look like and McIlroy (54 weeks) are
tories and is close to having then won the Olympic gold Championship, her fifth a piece of Kryptonite at the only ones to have done
double the points average medal in Japan. What she straight win to tie the LPGA the end of a shaft. That has that post-Woods. After that
of Lilia Vu, who won two lost was momentum sur- record, never looked in been sorted out. And that’s first victory, it took him only
majors last year. gery for a blood clot in her doubt. It was surprising to frightening for the rest of 50 tournaments to get the
It all seems to have hap- left arm that cost her four hear Korda talk about the golf. next nine.
pened so quickly, except months in 2022, and then grind, her nerves and that When he polished off his This form didn’t just show up
that it really hasn’t. a back injury in the late she felt “sick to my stom- latest clinic Monday morn- overnight. It just seems that
Korda possesses all the spring of 2023 that cost her ach.” No telling how the ing in the rain-delayed RBC way because of his putting
traits of a star. a month. rest of tour must feel. Heritage, Scheffler was funk.

She has the athletic genes She exudes a cool de- “I think there’s a key in the asked about the worst shot “I was No. 1 in the world
an older sister (Jessica) on meanor, ruthless at times, simplicity that I have when he hit in the final round. for a long time last year,”
the LPGA Tour, a younger and her quiet toughness I play,” Korda said. “I hon- It stumped him. Scheffler said. “But I was
brother (Sebastian) who is is a good fit with swing estly just take it a shot at a Scheffler finally settled on never answering questions
No. 26 in the world in ten- coach Jamie Mulligan. He time, and we pick a game a 3-wood he tugged off like, ‘Hey, you’ve been
nis, a father (Petr) who won says Korda has “shooter’s plan when we get to the the tee on the eighth hole. playing so great.’
his lone Grand Slam event adrenaline,” a basketball golf course and we work It just trickled into the left It was more like, ‘Hey,
in tennis at the 1998 Austra- reference. and we stay in our own little rough. you’ve been playing great,
lian Open. “If the mind is quiet, even bubble. It’s been working But that was the point of BUT you’ve been doing
Her swing is so pure that if your heart is going, you so far.” the question. He never this one thing really, really
even the late Mickey can get yourself in the right That’s how Scheffler makes seems to miss. bad.’”
Wright, regarded as the spot,” Mulligan said. it look. “I didn’t know what you He laughed, because
greatest LPGA player, took Now she is fully fit and listen- He picks a target. He swings were getting at there,” he laughter comes eas-
notice in a 2017 Golf Digest ing to her body. the club. It goes where he’s said with a laugh. “And I ily to Scheffler. So does
interview. That was a year Korda won before a home looking. was thinking through my winning.q