Newly topped Greg Norman Medallist Hannah Inexperienced has been afforded star billing as Australia’s {golfing} queens chase the most important purse in ladies’s golf historical past on the LPGA’s season-ending Tour Championship.
Inexperienced, twin main winner Minjee Lee, Grace Kim and 2024 rookie of the 12 months contender Gabriela Ruffels are among the many 60 gamers jostling for an eye-popping $US4 million ($6.13 million) winner’s pay day in Florida.
The champion’s cheque, double that of final 12 months, is a part of a file $US11 million purse on provide on the Tiburen Golf Membership in Naples.
Recent off her seventh victory of a rare season, world world primary Nelly Korda is the nice and cozy favorite and acknowledges the monster cash up for grabs is nothing to be sneezed at.
Korda says she nonetheless recollects incomes her first pay cheque from her skilled debut within the Bahamas in 2011 and being grateful to “manage to pay for to get me for the subsequent couple weeks”.
“So to see the steps and the progress that has been made since 2011 has been unbelievable,” she stated.
“Hopefully we hold profiting from the development in ladies’s golf and all of the wonderful tales and ladies in sports activities and repeatedly rising from it.”
Nelly Korda received her seventh LPGA title of the 12 months at The Annika final weekend — now she’s favorite for the Tour Championship. (Getty Pictures: Douglas P. DeFelice)
Inexperienced joyously revealed how she deliberate on forking out on a home when she banked a “life-changing” $US1 million bonus for profitable the LPGA Tour’s season-long AON Threat Reward Problem in 2021.
Now the 27-year-old world quantity 5 is among the many pre-tournament fancies to pocket 4 occasions that a lot on Sunday after carving out an-already dazzling three-win season within the US.
Fittingly, Inexperienced will play with Chinese language sensation Ruoning Yin, the world quantity three and fellow former Girls’s US PGA champion, in one of many function teams for the opening two rounds on Friday and Saturday (AEDT).
Inexperienced’s West Australian stablemate Minjee Lee will tee off with Thailand’s Arpichaya Yubol as she fights to land a primary trophy and keep away from a uncommon winless season.
Kim will exit with Swiss Albane Valenzuela, whereas Ruffels will play the primary two rounds with South Korean Narin An.
No matter transpires, Korda simply hopes it occurs quicker than her “ridiculous” five-hour, 38-minute last spherical final week at The Annika with English ace Charley Hull.
“Gamers simply have to be penalised,” Korda stated.
“Guidelines officers want to observe from the primary group. As soon as they get two minutes behind, one minute behind, it simply slows every part down.
“To be standing over a putt for 2 to 3 minutes, that is ridiculous.
“When a bunch in entrance of me is on the inexperienced and I am within the fairway, I am already preparing. I am getting my numbers prepared, speaking concerning the shot, so by the point it is my flip, I have already got my recreation plan.
“Individuals over-analyse and I believe individuals simply have to be prepared quicker.”
Hull went additional, saying serial slow-coaches must be banned from the tour.
“I am fairly ruthless, however I stated, ‘Hear, if you happen to get three dangerous timings, each time it is a two-shot penalty,'” Hull stated.
“When you have three of them you lose your tour card immediately.
“I am certain that may hurry lots of people up and so they will not need to lose their tour card. That might kill the sluggish play, however they’d by no means do this.”
AAP
