No excess baggage as Korda starts off strong

LONDON • As a professional golfer, Jessica Korda is used to living out of a suitcase. But the American has had to borrow clothes from her rivals at the Women's British Open in Scotland after her luggage failed to arrive from Zurich.

The world No. 14, whose best performance at a Major was second at the March 31-April 3 Chevron Championship, revealed her suitcase carrying clothes, hats and hand warmers remains stranded at Zurich Airport.

Despite the luggage mishap, Korda shot an opening round of five-under 66 for second place at Muirfield on Thursday, trailing 2019 champion Hinako Shibuno of Japan by one shot.

She hopes to be able to retrieve her belongings soon, adding: "If anyone knows anyone at the Zurich Airport that would like to put my suitcase on the one flight a day that they have coming into Edinburgh, I'd deeply appreciate it."

Korda, who has six victories on the LPGA Tour, resorted to borrowing outfits from other players - including her sister and world No. 3 Nelly - for the practice days, but was relieved to get a new set of clothes from sponsor FootJoy ahead of the first round.

"Monday, I wore Megan Khang's pants. Tuesday, I wore my sister's pants and Wednesday, I wore Alison Lee's pants. And today I'm wearing FootJoy pants," she said.

"I gave up on it by Wednesday. If it comes here, great, but if not, it is what it is."

Both Shibuno and Korda are chasing their first LPGA wins of the season, although Shibuno's drought extends much further, dating back to her 2019 maiden Major triumph.

"I haven't played well for a long time," she said. "I missed the cut at the Scottish Open last week, but I really enjoyed today. It was very windy, but good fun. It's nice to play well at such a famous venue."

Both world No. 1 Ko Jin-young of South Korea and Sweden's Anna Nordqvist, the defending champion, face a battle to make the cut at the final women's Major of the year after opening with a 76 and 74 respectively.

At the Wyndham Championship - the final PGA Tour event of the year before next week's FedExCup play-offs begin - John Huh ran in five straight birdies and added a long eagle putt to shoot a career-low, nine-under 61 and take the first-round lead on Thursday.

The American led South Korea's Im Sung-jae by two shots at the PGA's regular-season finale.

With the FedExCup play-offs starting soon, an expedited court hearing will take place on Tuesday as three LIV Golf Series players are seeking to claim berths at the FedEx St Jude Championship.

United States District Court Judge Beth Labson Freeman will hear arguments in San Jose, California, as Americans Talor Gooch and Hudson Swafford, and Australian Matt Jones seek a temporary restraining order preventing the play-offs to start without them.

Gooch, Swafford and Jones were among 11 LIV players who earlier this week filed an anti-trust lawsuit against the PGA. They painted the established tour as a monopoly trying to stifle the upstart group, which has lured away several big names and Major winners with record contracts and purses.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on August 06, 2022, with the headline No excess baggage as Korda starts off strong. Subscribe