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A14 sports
Monday 24 January 2022
Winless in '21, Danielle Kang starts new LPGA year with win

starting at the fifth hole, but
couldn't keep up the pace
and ended up with a 72.
Playing alongside Nelly
Korda and Annika Sorens-
tam — one a current No. 1,
one a former, and 72-time
LPGA champion — Lopez
found the experience to be
valuable and educational.
"Starting Sunday with the
World No. 1 and Annika?
It's exactly where I want to
be," she said.
Korda, who took a one-shot
lead into Sunday, shot 75
and slid to a tie for fourth.
Korda did not make her first
birdie of the round until the
15th hole. It certainly wasn't
a continuation of her first 54
holes, when Korda made
16 birdies and an eagle.
"Overall, you know, I didn't
play very good," Korda
said, "but I'm going to take
some positives away from
this week, and hopefully I
can kind of take it into the
next two."
She plans to play the LPGA's
first three events in Florida,
then take six weeks off, cre-
ating her own offseason
after a long and highly suc-
cessful 2021 campaign.
Given how Korda had been
a solid closer all last season,
her play Sunday was some-
what stunning. She had en-
Danielle Kang poses next to the championship trophy on the 18th green after winning the Tournament of Champions LPGA golf
tournament, Sunday, Jan. 23, 2022, in Orlando, Fla. tered the final round com-
Associated Press ing off seven consecutive
rounds in the 60s at Lake
By JEFF BABINEAU the season-opening Hilton son (70). than her share, making six Nona, and 11 consecutive
ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Dan- Grand Vacations Tourna- Kang was the lone player birdies. She took control of rounds in the 60s overall
ielle Kang readily admits ment of Champions. to break 70 on both week- the tournament early on dating to last season.
she, and her golf game, "My mental game was re- end days (69-68), and the the back nine with three She didn't have to look far
remain a constant work in ally good," said Kang, who only player to shoot in the consecutive birdies starting to find the LPGA record-
progress. She spent much was winless in 2021 after 60s all four rounds. The at the par-3 13th. holder for consecutive
of the offseason finding a having won in each of her 29-year-old American now A highlight of the round rounds in the 60s: Sorens-
way to be "comfortable previous four LPGA sea- has six LPGA titles. was a hard-earned bogey tam, who once put togeth-
being uncomfortable." It sons. "I had a really good In her only previous visit to at the 393-yard 16th, where er 14 in a row, was in her
seems to be working. attitude all day today and Lake Nona, Kang missed Kang pulled her approach group, vying against former
On a difficult championship yesterday. I know I left the cut at the Gainbridge nearly into a penalty area MLB pitcher Derek Lowe for
test at Lake Nona Golf and some putts out there, but I LPGA last year. But when and had to play away the title in the celebrity divi-
Country Club, Kang ran never let it get to me, and asked about it during this from the hole on a difficult sion.
off five birdies in a seven- I kept having to give myself tournament, Kang said she bunker shot. She then two- Lowe and Sorenstam would
hole stretch in the middle birdie chances as much as had no recollection. putted from about 90 feet, go to extra holes to decide
of her round, posted the possible." On a blustery, cool Flori- converting a bogey putt a celebrity winner, with
low score Sunday at 4-un- Kang finished at 16-under da day that made birdies from 10 feet. Lowe shocking the World
der 68 and sprinted away 272, three shots clear of scarce and scoring diffi- "A massive bogey," said Golf Hall of Famer when
to a three-shot victory at Canada's Brooke Hender- cult, Kang poured in more Kang's caddie of five years, he rolled in a 25-footer for
birdie on the first extra hole,
Englishman Olly Brett.
LIKE US ON Gaby Lopez, one of three the par-4 18th.
players to hold the lead Sorenstam had a putt just
Sunday, experienced an inside Lowe's but when the
up-and-down day, cool- ball failed to drop, victory
ing after a hot front nine was his.
to finish third, four shots "I basically beat her on one
behind Kang. She played hole," Lowe said. He had
Facebook.com/arubatoday/ her way into the lead with someplace to be. "See you
three consecutive birdies at the bar."q