NEW YORK: Nelly Korda outlasted Hannah Green of Australia down the stretch to win the Mizuho Americas Open on Sunday in Jersey City, New Jersey.
Korda's 1-under 71 was enough to finish at 14-under 274 and beat Green by a single shot. Green bogeyed the final hole when a par would have forced a playoff, and she settled for second place with a 70.
Korda, the World No. 1, earned her sixth win in seven starts after her five-tournament winning streak came to a halt last week.
"It's a lot of fun," Korda said. "For me it's more rewarding that all the hard work that I've put in – all the rollercoaster that I went through from the end of 2021 with my injuries to this year – is just super rewarding.
"To have my team besides me day in and day out, you know, being so close-knit really makes it special."
Korda entered Sunday with a two-shot lead but made three bogeys and one birdie on the front nine, dropping her into a tie with Green. When they made the turn at Liberty National Golf Club, Korda and Green were knotted at 11 under, and both proceeded to make birdies at the par-5 10th, par-5 13th and par-4 15th holes.
"We had a lot of chat in between holes," Green said. "I wasn't really sure what it was going to be like, especially once I realized it was kind of just between us. When I got to 10 I assumed that I wasn't really in it at all. I didn't see any of the leaderboards.
"And then my caddie said it was pretty much between us, so, yeah, it was enjoyable playing with Nelly and matching her and making birdies."
They went par for par through the remaining holes, but Green was the one to blink at No. 18. She failed to hit the green with her second shot and went on to miss her roughly 13-foot par putt that would have pushed Korda to a playoff.
"(The crowds around the green) were almost accidentally hit, but lucky they weren't," Green said of her wayward approach. "I was just trying to get something up the right side of the green and then I completely mishit it."
Korda's winning streak included the Chevron Championship, the first major of the season, last month outside Houston. Korda took the week off after the Chevron, and it was Green who took advantage by winning the JM Eagle LA Championship. She was seeking her third win of 2024 Sunday.
Korda, now the owner of 14 career LPGA wins and six this year, will turn her attention to the U.S. Women's Open in two weeks at Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club.
"I'm excited for my week off," Korda said. "I've played two weeks in a row, and obviously with the amount of adrenaline and the pressure and the head-to-head battle that I had with Hannah today, I mean, that wears on you. So I'll definitely feel pretty tired the next few days, and I'm just really excited to recharge my batteries."
Four players tied for third at 10 under: Jennifer Kupcho (71), Australia's Gabriela Ruffels (72) and Thailand's Chanettee Wannasaen (65) and Ariya Jutanugarn (70). - Reuters