JOHNS CREEK, Ga | It seems appropriate that this championship is being contested at Bobby Jones’ home club. Even though Jones never played a round at the current home of the Atlanta Athletic Club, he is the person who said, “A good putter is a match for any man.”
Never has that phrase been more appropriate than in Saturday’s third around at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Jones had to have been looking down and smiling as two different styles of play and players finished the afternoon knotted at the top of the leaderboard at an astonishing 15-under par, five shots clear of a trio tied for third.
One of those players was the long-hitting Nelly Korda, who continued to pound tee shots and hit crisp irons straight at flags. No hole location seemed too tough for Korda’s attacking style. And it showed in the 4-birdie 68 she fired on a chamber-of-commerce day in metro Atlanta. Korda birdied her first two holes on Saturday. Given that she closed with six consecutive birdies on Friday, every stat geek in golf was scrambling to see if 8 was the longest consecutive birdie streak in women’s major championship history. Nobody can say for sure (records of such things in the early days don’t exist) but in the modern era, it does appear to be a women’s major record, albeit stretched over two rounds.
But the second player is the one that would have left Mr. Jones nodding his head and curling his lip. Lizette Salas, who is, on average, 28 yards shorter than Korda off the tee, birdied her first hole by holing a 30-foot putt that broke five feet from left to right. She then laid up on the par-5 2nd (a hole that Korda reached with ease). But Salas stuffed a wedge to four feet and made another birdie. On the 3rd, she made a 35-footer up the hill. Another wedge on the par-5 5th stopped 3 feet away. It went on and on – a 27-footer on 7 that broke three feet, followed by a 12-footer on 8. Even when the putts stopped going in, they came to rest mere inches from the hole. It was as effortless a 67 as you will ever see.
When asked afterward how she competed against a player like Korda, who flies most tee shots by her, Salas said, “I can putt.” She then gave a wry smile of her own and said, “Just get me on the green and we can work from there. That's pretty much the game plan. I think I'm really comfortable with my fairway woods and my hybrids.
“I think I have a reputation of not being the longest player. Instead of it being a burden or it being something annoying, I just say, ‘well, I'll just meet you on the green.’ I think I had a good taste of that when I played Anne van Dam two years ago at the Solheim Cup. She's the longest hitter on Tour and I just said, ‘I'll meet you up there (on the green) and we can battle from there.’
“I'm not at all intimidated by length, I just know I can compete out here.”
Salas has another reason to feel confident going into the final round, even though she only has one win her career and is most remembered for the near-misses and heartbreaks, like the 2019 AIG Women’s Open, than she is for her lone victory. This week, however, Salas opened up to the public about her mental health struggles and the feelings of worthlessness that have plagued her for some time.
Like any secret, it was heavier than she realized. Only now that the burden is lifted is she able to embrace the moment.
“I think when I finally unloaded the weight that I was carrying to my team, that was a big turning point. And I think being okay to be vulnerable and ask for help, having that in my mind has been super helpful. Saying it this week was the right thing to do and the right time to talk about it.
“I am really happy. And I think I'm just embracing it and taking everything in.”
You can see it in her face. The smile is real and relaxed. The fan engagement seems joyful. The shoulders, often rigid and high, have fallen, opening her up physically as well as emotionally.
“It's a beautiful thing to hear my name that much,” Salas said of the love she received from the Georgia crowd on Saturday. “Before, I would hear my name and it would almost bother me. The last few months I didn't like it. Now I actually like the sound of it. And I'm having fun.
“The fans want to show (support) and they want to have a good time. So why not? It was kind of slow on the back nine, so why not just engage a little bit? That's what this Tour is all about. We're accessible. I'm pretty accessible. So, I was just having fun out there.”
It showed in her demeanor and her score. With one round to go, Salas is on the cusp of a career breakthrough. More importantly, she has made a breakthrough in her life. One that will lead to things far more rewarding than wins.
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