Nelly Korda made five consecutive birdies on the back nine Sunday to win her seventh LPGA event of the year.
Korda, who started the final round at The Annika trailing Charley Hull, was 2 over on the day through 10 holes at Pelican Golf Club, two off the pace. She then birdied Nos. 11-15 to create a two-shot advantage with three holes to play.
Korda parred in for a 3-under 67 and a three-shot triumph at minus-14.
Hull (71), Jin Hee Im (68) and WeiWei Zhang (70) tied for second. Rose Zhang (67) and Linn Grant (66) tied for fifth.
Korda’s latest victory came in her first start in nearly two months after she missed the full Asia swing because of a minor neck injury.
Her final-round flourish marked her second straight day rallying from a sluggish start. Korda began the third round with two bogeys over her first four holes and fell six shots back of Hull before making six birdies to trim her overnight deficit to one.
Sunday, she had three bogeys and a birdie over her first eight holes before streaking past Hull and Co. on the inward half.
“I mean, you should have felt the nerves that I was feeling on the back nine, and then just after taking some time off with an injury, it feels great to be back out here,” said Korda, who also won this event in 2021 and 2022.
“Nothing like being in the hunt, the adrenaline feeling on the back nine, and being in contention. I love it so much.”
The 26-year-old, who earlier this year tied an LPGA record with five consecutive victories, became the first player to win seven times in a season since Yani Tseng in 2011. She is the first American to do so since Beth Daniel in 1990.
This one, however, was a little different in that her brother, professional tennis player Sebastian, was on hand to witness her close out victory for the first time.
“She’s absolutely fierce. She’s clutch,” said Sebastian Korda, who surprised his sister by arriving for the final three holes. “There is no one I guess works harder than her.”
One event remains on the 2024 LPGA schedule, the CME Group Tour Championship, where $4 million will go to the winner.
With her latest first-place check, Korda pushed her season total to more than $4.16 million. Lorena Ochoa, who won eight times in 2007, holds the single-season record with $4,364,994.