Zhang Shines with Record-Breaking Round at Founders Cup

Update Time:2024-05-10 Clicks:275

Nelly Korda is going to have some work to do to win a record sixth straight LPGA Tour title, especially the way Rose Zhang is playing.

Korda shot a relatively mistake-free 3-under 69 early in the first round of the Cognizant Founders Cup on Thursday and then could only watch as the 20-year-old Zhang tied the tournament record with a 63 in the afternoon to take the lead.

In her winning streak, Korda has never trailed by more than eight strokes after the opening round. The 25-year-old was six back in this one with a slew of players ahead of her heading into the second round at the Upper Montclair Country Club.

Rain was in the forecast the next two days.

“There is still three more days,” said Korda, who had four birdies and a bogey. “You still have a lot of things that you — I know the weather is not supposed to be great and there is just different factors that go into the rest of the tournament. So it’s definitely nice to get a good round in. You know, still a long, long ways away from Sunday.”

Zhang also has to be a concern after needing only 25 putts in posting the best professional round of her career. The two-time NCAA champion from Stanford won New Jersey in her professional debut at the Mizuho Americas Open about a year ago. She has not won since but she played like a champion Thursday, a bogey-free round that included nine birdies.


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