New swing thought keys Nelly Korda’s turnaround at CME Tour Championship

Surprise, surprise – Nelly Korda is back in contention at the CME Group Tour Championship.

The world No. 1, looking to close out her superstar-cementing season with back-to-back wins and a $4 million bonus, carded a bogey-free 66 that rocketed her into the top 5 in Naples.

Jump-started by an eagle hole-out on the third hole, Korda erased any concerns from a sloppy even-par opening round that sent her and her team to the range for answers.

Korda discovered she wasn’t hinging properly during her backswing and was out of position at the top, leading to a series of mis-hits.

“When it gets a little windy it’s hard, it sways you around a little bit more. So on top of that, it was just harder to find something out there,” she said Friday. “Thankfully, I have a great group of people around me and found a simple feel to go into today. Hopefully I can keep progressing with that.”

Korda’s 66 matched the low round of the early starters and moved her – at the time – into a tie for fourth, just a few shots back.

In addition to the range session, Korda credited room service and an early night to “recharge my batteries” after a few days of sponsor and tour-related activities. It was a much-needed boost Friday for a player who has already won seven times, clinched Player of the Year and now is looking for a fitting finale.

“It’s nice to have a day where you can reset mentally,” she said.