Korda rallies to win, reclaims world No. 1; Saso ties for 13th

MANILA, Philippines – Nelly Korda reclaimed the world No. 1 ranking in style, turning in a six-under 64 to beat fellow American Lexi Thompson by one in the Pelican Championship in Belleair, Florida Sunday (Monday, Manila), the final regular LPGA tournament before the all-star CME Race to the Globe next week.

Not even a final-hole bogey could stymie the Tokyo Olympics gold medalist from ruling the $2 million championship for the second straight year as she virtually secured the win with a seven-birdie splurge that carried her from joint fifth to the top of the heap heading to the closing par-4 hole of the Pelican Golf Club.

With a pair of 32s, the multi-titled Korda pooled a 14-under 196 in the tournament reduced to 54 holes due to tropical storm Nicole, foiling Thompson, who rattled off four straight birdies from No. 5 on her way to a 66 and a 197.

Second round leader Allisen Corpuz, also of the US, cracked under pressure and slowed down with a 69 after back-to-back 65s as she ended up third at 199.

Yuka Saso, meanwhile, closed out the way she started, shooting a third straight 68 to finish tied for 13th worth $30,565 while ICTSI teammate Bianca Pagdanganan matched par 70 after a pair of 69s to wind up joint 31st at 208 and took home $13,907 (P798,000).

Saso, who shot three birdies against a bogey, will be among the 60 players who will slug it out in the CME Race to the Globe which stakes the richest prize of $7 million with the winner taking $2 million. It will be played on Nov. 17-20 at the Tiburon Golf Club’s Gold course in Naples, also in Florida.

The 2021 US Women’s Open champion ended the season at No. 27 while Pagdanganan finished at No. 124.

The victory was Korda's first on the LPGA in the year she would rather forget after undergoing operation due to a blood clot in her left arm last March, forcing her to take a leave from the tour.

She has struggled to regain her form since although she won in the Aramco Team Series in Spain on the Ladies European Tour.

But with Thai Atthaya Thitikul opting to sit out the Pelican Championship and Korda finding her rhythm and touch and winning again, the latter found herself back at a familiar place at season's end.