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Tag: Anna Nordqvist

  • Jessica Korda Wins Airbus LPGA Classic

    Jessica Korda Wins Airbus LPGA Classic

    Jessica Korda won the Airbus LPGA Classic on Sunday in Mobile, AL.

    “It’s very sweet,” the 21-year-old Bradenton, FL native said. “Finally on U.S. soil and somewhat close to Florida.”

    The tournament took place on The Crossings course at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Trail’s Magnolia Grove complex.

    “I just love it here. I love Alabama, I love this golf course, and hopefully we’ll have this tournament for a very, very long time,” Korda enthused.

    Korda played an impressive back nine on Sunday, with birdies on 10, 12, 14, 15, 16 and 18 for a 6-under 30, finishing the tournament at 20 under.

    ” … for some reason it just clicks on the back nine. Front nine, I’m always around the edges and I wouldn’t say front nine plays any harder or any easier or vice versa. I don’t know, I think it’s just go time. It’s the back nine of the tournament, that’s when the tournament starts.”

    Korda’s birdie putt on the 18th hole gave her a one-shot victory over second place finisher Anna Nordqvist of Sweden.

    Korda posted the same tournament total in Mobile a year ago, finishing one shot behind first place winner Jennifer Johnson and tying for second with Thailand’s Pornanong Phatlum.

    This win marks Korda’s second LPGA title this year and the third of her career. She won the Women’s Australian Open in 2012 and Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic in January 2014.

    “I definitely wish that I could have at least shared it with my parents, but I know that they’re watching. My brother’s playing a tennis tournament right now and my sister’s trying for a U.S. Open qualifier, so we’re kind of scattered all over the place, but I can’t wait to go home and share this with them.”

    Korda’s is a close-knit and athletic family. Her father Petr, a Czech former professional tennis player, won the 1998 Australian Open. Her mother, Regina Rajchrtová also played tennis professionally.

    “I grew up in Florida but spent summers in the Czech Republic and played for the Czech Republic national team until I was 15 – I had dual citizenship. When I finished 19th in the US Women’s Open at age 15, I was playing under the Czech Republic flag,” Korda has said. “My dad wanted me to fly under the radar. He wanted me to be able to just enjoy my childhood and my freedom, have fun and not have to go do interviews and things like that.”

    Korda has explained why she decided to play golf rather than her parents’ sport of choice, tennis:

    “The rumor is that when I was younger, I didn’t like to sweat and I didn’t like to run, and both of those things are kind of important in tennis. I was introduced to a lot of sports as a child: I did gymnastics, figure skating, tennis and golf, and I dabbled a little bit in ballet. I just never fell in love with tennis the way I did with golf.”

    Image via Jessica Korda, Instagram

  • Anna Nordqvist Claims Victory at LPGA Kia Classic

    Anna Nordqvist rallied to win the Kia Classic by one shot at Aviara Golf Club in Carlsbad, C.A., on Sunday to capture her second win in her last four LGPA starts.

    The Swedish 27-year-old player was two strokes behind leaders Cristie Kerr and Lizette Salas when she entered the round, and finished with her second straight 5-under 67 for a one stroke victory over American player Salas.

    Projected to rise from being ranked 16th to ninth in the world, Nordqvist finished with a 13-under par total 275 and earned $255,000. Salas birdied the 18th for a 70.

    “I’m very excited. I still can’t believe it,” Nordqvist said.

    “I was a couple of shots back going into today, but this morning I told myself to give it a shot and I ended up making quite of bit of birdies out there. I’m very excited to have two wins this season,” she continued.

    Nordqvist won the LPGA Thailand in February, beating out number-one ranked Park In-Bee, and previously won the LPGA Championship and LPGA Tour Championship in 2009.

    Nordqvist had contemplated giving up golf after poor performances in 2013. She changed equipment and started working with instructor Jorje Parada in the off-season. Nordqvist will now head into the first major tournament of the year, the Kraft Nabisco Championship at Rancho Mirage, California, next week, with two wins under her belt thus far this year.

    “I really love the majors,” Nordqvist said.

    “It’s a tougher set up on course and I feel more pressure, more spotlight on the tournament and I like that. I like the test and it seems like it is going to be pretty windy next week which will make it tougher. I’m very happy with the way I’m playing and can’t wait to tee it up,” she continued.

    Image via Wikimedia Commons

  • Anna Nordqvist Claims Victory At Kia Classic After Dramatic Rally

    Anna Nordqvist climbed from the bottom on Sunday’s Kia Classic and made her way to victory. It is the second win for the 27-year-old in the last four LPGA Tour starts.

    Swedish Nordqvist was two strokes behind leaders Lizette Salas and Cristie Kerr. She then closed the gap and ended up with a one-stroke victory over Salas, with a straight 5-under 67.

    Nordqvist was in disbelief over her win. “I was a couple of shots back going into today, but this morning I told myself to give it a shot and I ended up making quite a bit of birdies out there.” She also expressed her joy over the fact that she has two wins this season. Her first win was at the Honda LPGA event in Thailand, which took place just last month.

    On the opening of the tournament last Thursday, her victory seemed unlikely, as she scored a low 73.

    Just last year, Nordqvist was in doubt of her career in golf and contemplated retirement in order to get back to her other interest, which is graphic design. Her decision to stick with the sport is finally paying off with already two wins in the first three months of the 2014 season.

    The next stop for her is the Kraft Nabisco Championship, which will be held next week. “It’s a tougher setup on the courses and always a little bit more pressure and more kind of spotlight on the tournament. I like that,” she said referring to the majors.

    Before last month’s win in Thailand, Nordqvist was having a winning drought, as she had not won anything since the end of 2009.

    Nordqvist made changes and entered the 2014 season with a new look including a new sponsor, new, clubs, new instructor, and a new caddie.

    With her latest win, Nordqvist made a leap from the 16th to the 9th place in the Rolex Rankings and won $255,000.

    Image via YouTube