ORLANDO, Fla. — Nelly Korda is at it again at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club, kicking off her week at the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions with a 4-under 68 in the first round.

The 15-time LPGA Tour winner got things rolling early, picking up a pair of back-to-back birdies on the par-4 first and par-5 second holes to climb to 2-under immediately. A birdie on seven helped Korda turn in 33, and she then moved to 4-under for the round when she birdied the par-4 12th.

Another set of birdies on 14 and 15 lifted Korda to 6-under, but she stumbled coming down the stretch with a pair of bogeys on 16 and 17 that saw her ultimately post a 68, a round-one performance that has the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings No. 2 lurking two strokes behind 18-hole leader Nasa Hataoka and sitting in a tie for sixth early in Orlando.

“I started off birdie, birdie. Overall, it was solid. The greens are slick,” said Korda, who hit 15 of 18 greens on day one. “I made a couple of mistakes coming in – one three-putt and one missed green on 17. Overall, I’m happy with my round. (It’s just) Thursday, so hopefully, I can continue building momentum going into the next three days. But can't complain.”

While Korda has yet to add the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions title to her resume, the 27-year-old has previously captured a victory at Lake Nona, winning the Gainbridge LPGA back in 2021. She has tallied five top-five results in her seven previous starts at what’s traditionally the first event on the LPGA Tour schedule each season, most recently coming in solo second to 2025 Tournament of Champions winner A Lim Kim last year.

So it’s certainly not a surprise to see Korda contending already after Thursday play, least of all to the major champion herself, who says that this property is reminiscent of her home course, The Concession Golf Club, in Bradenton, Fla., and whose self-belief is bolstered by her history with Lake Nona.

“It's a good confidence boost knowing that I've played well on this golf course,” Korda said. You really have to be dialed off the tee, but the greens are really tricky out here. You have to really dial into the spots you want to hit it on. I think that's what makes it so tough and also so fun for me. You really have to be precise to be on the right parts of the green.

“Overall, yeah, the confidence helps, but you also have to execute the shots, and that's what I really like about Lake Nona.”

With three rounds remaining and cold conditions promising to plague the field throughout the weekend, a tall task awaits Korda over the next 54 holes if she wants a shot at what’s been an elusive win at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.

But considering her propensity for strong performances at this golf course and the fact that she’s likely in much better form than some of her counterparts who enjoyed extensive off seasons because of her starts in both the Grant Thornton Invitational and PNC Championship, Nelly is never to be counted out when competing at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club, least of all when she’s searching for her first victory since November 2024.

Nelly Korda Near the Lead After First-Round 68 at Familiar Lake Nona

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