NAPLES, Fla. — Angel Yin kicked off her round with an impressive 30-foot par putt on her first hole, setting a positive tone for her day. She finished with a 3-under 69, which positioned her two strokes ahead going into the weekend of the CME Group Tour Championship and the competition for the $4 million prize.
In the meantime, Nelly Korda, fresh off her seventh victory of the season last week, faced a rough start with a 72, leaving her eight shots off the lead. However, after reflecting on her performance, she discovered a helpful swing adjustment and rebounded with a solid 66, successfully halving her deficit as the tournament moves forward with 36 holes remaining.
“Golf is just unpredictable,” Korda remarked. “You can go from performing exceptionally well one week to struggling to connect with the ball the next. It’s always a humbling experience, which is part of what makes the game so appealing. I hit the range after my round yesterday to find a different feel, and I felt much better today. I aim to keep building on that.”
Yin’s successful day included a remarkable 40-foot birdie putt right after her opening par. Additionally, she sank another birdie from roughly 35 feet on the 11th, solidifying her lead. Her total score now stands at 10-under 134, with Hye-Jin Choi (68) and Narin An (72) closely trailing at 8 under.
Korda, having already earned her first player of the year honor, is tied for fourth at 138 alongside four players who have either been major champions or have held the top spot in women’s world golf: Jeeno Thitikul, Ayaka Furue, Ruoning Yin, and Amy Yang, the defending champion at Tiburon Golf Club.
Furue is also vying for the Vare Trophy, awarded for the lowest scoring average, and has narrowed the gap to just a fraction of a point behind Haeran Ryu.
While Yin’s round included some bogeys that slowed her progress, a conversation with a rules official regarding her drop after hitting the water on the par-3 fourth hole added some tension. “It seemed they believed I didn’t make the drop correctly, and I was asked to review footage,” Yin recalled. “I thought I dropped it in the right spot, and we discussed it within my group, but no marshals stepped in with information. Eventually, my drop stood, I made a bogey, and I continued.”
Korda, for her part, had some near-misses at birdies but redeemed herself with a stunning eagle on the third hole when her 8-iron shot from the rough perfectly found the bottom of the cup. This ignited her performance moving forward.
She attributed her improved game to incorporating more hinge in her swing takeaway and shortening her swing. This adjustment, combined with some well-deserved rest after a hectic week of receiving accolades, allowed Korda to regain her rhythm.
Last year, Yin cashed in on the Aon Risk-Reward Challenge, earning $1 million from a year-long competition evaluating players’ performances on high-risk holes. The sum provided her with significant financial comfort. When asked about the prospect of winning $4 million, she expressed, “It would mean even greater financial freedom.”