N. Korda finally makes second ace, can celebrate in style with dad

NAPLES, Fla. – Nelly Korda made her first career hole-in-one on the LPGA Tour during Saturday’s third round at the CME Group Tour Championship.

The ace is only the second of Korda’s life, and it came at the par-3 eighth hole at Tiburon Golf Club, where she hit a 9-iron from 148 yards.

“I’m super psyched,” Korda told the media after her round. “Already had a couple friends send me their Venmo.”

The ace comes 14 years after Korda’s first, which remembered making during a golf trip to Orlando, Florida, with her father, Petr. Nelly couldn’t remember the course where she made the hole-in-one but vividly remembered the celebration as she recalled the cart girl just rounding the corner at the par 3 and her father promptly taking a shot of alcohol to celebrate. Nelly, who was just 11 at the time, did not partake. But after today’s ace? Well, that might be a different story.

“Now I can maybe join him in taking the shot,” Korda said with a laugh. “Maybe after the week.”

Korda said she has made it a goal in the 14 years since her first ace to try and make a second hole-in-one and her caddie, Jason McDede, has joined her on the quest. He was the first to greet Korda in celebration on Saturday with a pair of high-5s, shouting, “Finally!” Korda said.

Thanks to the ace, Korda looked poised to make a run up the leaderboard after beginning the third round six strokes back, but she settled for a 66 after a pair of bogeys on her inward stretch to leave her seven behind leaders Nasa Hataoka and Amy Yang. Sunday, she’ll be relying heavily on her course knowledge, having racked up five top-10s in her six prior appearances at the Tour Championship.

“It’s going to take a really low one to catch the leaders,” Korda said about her approach to the final round. “I would say anything is possible. I’m going to go out trying to play my game and take it one shot at a time and see where that takes me.”