MELBOURNE, Australia - Jessica Korda realized how much her life had changed since the last time she was at Royal Melbourne when she drove into the golf course Tuesday. There on the street hanging on the light poles entering the golf course were tournament signs with her picture. Three years ago it was here that Korda secured her first professional victory, winning this tournament in only her 16^th LPGA start in a crazy six-player playoff – a playoff that matched the largest in LPGA history.

“It’s really cool. I wasn’t expecting it so to come in and see it it’s been really nice. It’s weird but it’s really nice,” Korda said.

Korda’s family holds a title no one else in the world can claim as her father, retired professional tennis player Petr Korda, had his greatest triumph here in Melbourne as well winning the 1998 Australian Open. Jessica’s bags didn’t come in tow when she arrived to Melbourne on Sunday. Therefore, she took the Monday without clubs to go visit her father’s old stomping grounds at Rod Laver Arena where the Australian Open is held.

“That was the first time there since I was a baby and went there with my dad. It looked completely different,” Korda said. “But it was just cool to go back. It’s the court of history and something I wanted to go see.”

Korda peppered her dad with pictures and while he admitted he was jealous, he was more interested in her impressions of Royal Melbourne after being back. Korda admitted she was reflecting walking around and said she was showing her caddy during the 12 holes she played Tuesday where she hit it during her win.

“Certain places he doesn’t want me to repeat again and certain places he was quite impressed with,” Korda said with a laugh.

As for the course, the layout is much different with the course tipping out at 6,741 yards this year, but everything else seems the same.

“The greens are very firm. They’re very bouncy, exactly how I remember them. They’re faster, definitely seem faster, but the fairways aren’t rolling out as much,” Korda said. “It’s a little different.”

It’s mostly different off the tee. The lengthened set up means Korda is hitting longer clubs off the tee, but the second shot is essentially the same as she had in 2012. And her mission on those second shots is relatively cut and dry.

“Keep the ball out of these bunkers is going to be the biggest thing. The bunkers are quite tough. There’s not a ton of sand in them, and we can’t spin the ball as well as the men can,” Korda said. “If you short side yourself in a bunker, you’re looking middle of the green and that’s 25-30 footer for par and that’s not something you want.”

Three Years Ago Korda Secured First Professional Win

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