Tools of a Champion: Jessica Korda at ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open

Jessica Korda Opens Her Bag

Second-year LPGA Tour member Jessica Korda sank a 25-foot birdie putt on the second hole of a six-way playoff to become a Rolex First-Time Winner at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open at Royal Melbourne Golf Club. Korda, who held a slim one-stroke after three rounds, fired a 1-over 74 to earn her way into an LPGA record-tying, six-way playoff that included Brittany Lincicome, Stacy Lewis, Julieta Granada, Hee Kyung Seo and So Yeon Ryu.

The playoff was held on the famous 18th hole on the Composite Course at Royal Melbourne. The six players were broken into two groups of three. Lincicome joined Ryu and Seo in a playoff threesome. Korda was grouped with Lewis and Granada.

All six players made par on the hole in their first attempt, forcing a second playoff hole and it was then that Korda took advantage. After hitting her approach shot to 25 feet, Korda sank the right-to-left breaking putt and celebrated with a large fist pump. Granada still had a birdie putt from around 12 feet but missed it to give Korda her first professional victory.

"I had one concept in my head...I was really calm," Korda said. "I knew what the putt did because I'd had it before and it did not move. I was a little higher up and more to the right. I knew the line and I knew the speed. All I had to do was just hit it. It started breaking. I thought, Oh my goodness no, don't lip out, don't break too early. I don't even know what side of the hole it hit. I was overwhelmed by everything."