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Thursday 4 april 2019

Nelly Korda ready to take major step at ANA Inspiration

By JOHN NICHOLSON actually my job.’ Korda will
AP Sports Writer play alongside 2013 win-
RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. ner Inbee Park the first two
(AP) — Nelly Korda is ready days. They will open Thurs-
to take a major step at the day afternoon on No. 10.
ANA Inspiration. She’s also “The rough is really thick
trying not to get too far around the greens and
ahead of herself, barely let- around the fairways,” Kor-
ting herself think about the da said. “It seems like it’s
traditional victory leap into pretty firm. Playing really
Poppy’s Pond. pure. They made a couple
“I’m not going to think of the holes longer, so I
about it too much,” Korda think it’s going to be play-
said Wednesday. ing tougher this year on a
Instead, she was thinking couple of the longer holes.”
about the opening round Park lost a playoff to Per-
Thursday. nilla Lingberg last year in
“The first round is tomorrow, a Monday finish, falling on
so just focus on that one,” the eighth extra hole. The
said Korda, at 20 making seven-time major cham-
her fifth start at Mission Hills pion likes the tougher and
in the major championship. longer setup.
That task-at-hand philoso- “The rough is thicker than
phy has worked well in the Nelly Korda hits her tee shot on the 11th hole during the pro-am round of the LPGA Tour ANA what we play probably
last six months. Inspiration golf tournament at Mission Hills Country Club Wednesday, April 3, 2019, in Rancho four, five years,” Park said. “I
Building on a strong finish Mirage, Calif. think the rough will be defi-
last year when she won in Associated Press nitely the challenge of the
Taiwan and was second in shots. That was a goal of father, Petr Korda, won his loving life a fraction more, week. ... Four holes have
the season-ending event in mine this year, to take it lone Grand Slam tennis where Nelly is just a little bit tee boxes that we never
Florida, the American has shot by shot and really to title in the 1998 Australian more directed, a little bit played before. The course
opened the season with stay calm.”She’s No. 8 in Open. Jessica won the more on a path.” is going to be longer and
five straight top-10 finishes, the world ranking, three Women’s Australian Open Korda skipped the Carls- the rough is going to be up.
winning the Women’s Aus- spots ahead of her sister. seven years ago for the first bad event last week to pre- I think it’ll be quite a tough
tralian Open in February. “We don’t talk about how of her five LPGA Tour titles, pare for the major, practic- test. I think it’s a good ma-
She’s coming off a second- we push each other, but and tennis player brother ing at The Vintage Club in jor setup.”
place tie — with older sis- obviously we want to beat Sebastian took the Austra- nearby Indian Wells. Park missed a chance for
ter Jessica among others each other as well at the lian Open boys’ singles title “Just kind of practicing my her 20th LPGA Tour vic-
— two weeks ago in the end of the day and that last year. putting, my swing, just to tory and first in just over a
Founders Cup in Phoenix. pushes us,” Korda said. “I’ve always seen some- stay consistent throughout year Sunday in Carlsbad.
“Just staying calm and “It’s very healthy. When I’m thing, a shade more seri- the week,” she said. “Just After taking a one-stroke
consistent,” Korda said. struggling she’s right there ous in Nelly than I have in so grateful at the end of lead into the final round,
“I’ve said it quite a bit this and vice versa.” Jessica,” said Hall of Famer the day to just be practic- she closed with a 1-un-
year, but really my goal is The victory in Adelaide Judy Rankin, Golf Chan- ing out there and to enjoy der 71 to tie for second —
just to stay consistent, not added to her family’s sports nel/NBC’s lead LPGA Tour the views, saying to your- three strokes behind Nasa
to overreact when I hit bad pedigree Down Under. Her analyst. “Jessica might be self, ‘Oh, my God, this is Hataoka.q
Soccer great Pele hospitalized

with urinary infection

ciated Press the three-time Globo said Pele had a and prostate procedures.
World Cup champion will cold and was medicated In November 2014 the Bra-
be in hospital for up to two at his hotel on Tuesday. He zilian great stayed in a
days. woke up still feeling ill and Sao Paulo hospital for two
“He was a little shaky and was taken to a hospital on weeks, including some time
they detected a urinary in- Wednesday. in intensive care, because
fection,” Fornos said. The 78-year-old Pele and of a urinary tract infection.
He added that Pele had a Mbappe, the French for- At the time, his Brazilian
fever and is being treated ward who has drawn com- doctors said intensive care
Brazilian soccer legend Pele, left, and French soccer player with antibiotics, but “it is all parisons with the Brazilian was needed because of
Kylian Mbappe pose during a photocall in Paris, Tuesday, April under control.” great after helping France excessive inflammation in
2, 2019. “Doctors want him to stay win the World Cup last sum- his body caused by the in-
Associated Press in hospital one or two days mer as a teenager, met as fection.
By SAM PETREQUIN and cause of a urinary infec- so he can leave fully recov- part of their ambassador Pele’s meeting with
MAURICIO SAVARESE tion following a meeting ered,” Fornos added. roles for a Swiss watchmak- Mbappe had initially been
AP Sports Writers with Kylian Mbappe in the He did not specify which er. planned for last Novem-
PARIS (AP) — Soccer great French capital, his spokes- hospital Pele was being Pele has frequently been ber but was postponed
Pele was hospitalized in man said. treated in. admitted to hospitals in the because of the Brazilian’s
Paris on Wednesday be- Pepito Fornos told The Asso- Earlier, Brazilian TV network last few years for kidney poor health at the time.q