‘I almost broke my wrist!’ – Nelly Korda tussles with heather at AIG Women’s Open

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Tour

Aug 9, 2023

The World No 1 could have been out of the last major of the year before it even began!

One feature of Walton Heath is already showing its teeth, and the AIG Women’s Open hasn’t even begun.

“I almost broke my wrist today,” World No. 1 Nelly Korda said of the heather, something Rose Zhang also threw caution to when speaking in Surrey.

Korda joked about the tough turf surrounding the fairways on Wednesday, but the American knows the heather is no laughing matter as she pursues a second major title and another win after her success on the Aramco Team Series last month.

“It’s not easy. It’s really bouncy,” she added.

“If you get a good lie, then maybe – but I would say 95 per cent of the time you will be pitching out with a 58 degree just to try to get it back into play. It’s really tough to get out of that.”

Cheers @NellyKorda! pic.twitter.com/FBRb8xYCnw
— AIG Women’s Open (@AIGWomensOpen) August 8, 2023

Korda, 25, outlined creativity as an important aspect this week as she looks to add to the Women’s PGA Championship trophy she lifted in 2021.

A disappointing 80 in the final round of this year’s US Women’s Open shouldn’t take away from strong finishes at the Chevron Championship and the recent Amundi Evian Championship, where she finished tied ninth.

With only one top-10 in her career at the AIG Women’s Open since 2017, Korda knows what’s required if she is to taste victory at the year’s last major championship.

“I think British-style golf courses, you have to use a lot more creativity,” she explained.

“I would say it’s a completely different style of golf. I would say depending on the weather and style of golf course, you have to have a lot of creativity out here.

“You have to hit shots you normally wouldn’t on other golf courses. Typically with golf courses in the US, it’s very tight lies and you have to hit it high into the greens, and here you actually can chase it up. I mean, here you have to hit low bullets out here so the wind doesn’t affect it.”

Can Nelly Korda win at Walton Heath and claim a second major? Let us know with a Tweet!