Korda shoots 81, misses cut at PGA

Nelly Korda of the United States lines up a putt on the ninth green during the second round of The Chevron Championship at The Club at Carlton Woods on Friday, April 19, 2024, in The Woodlands, Texas. AFP PHOTO

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Nelly Korda was sent packing early again Friday (Saturday in Manila) in the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, another shocking downfall after a dominating run.

A stroke behind first-round leader Lexi Thompson after an opening 3-under 69, the top-ranked Korda shot an 81 in the second round to miss the weekend cut by a stroke. The round was the highest in a major championship by a top-ranked player since the inception of the ranking in 2006.

Korda also missed the cuts in the US Women's Open — opening with an 80 — and the Meijer LPGA Classic in her last two starts after winning six of seven events, a run that started with a record-tying five straight victories.

"It's just [been] golf recently for me," Korda said. "No words for how I am playing right now. I'm just going to go home and try to reset."

While Korda struggled in the warm afternoon conditions that sped up tree-lined Sahalee Country Club, Sarah Schmelzel and Amy Yang shared the lead at 6-under 136. Schmelzel had a 67 in the morning, and Yang shot 68 in the afternoon.

Korda bogeyed the first four holes and also dropped strokes on Nos. 6 and 9 in a front-nine 42.

She bogeyed Nos. 11 and 14, had a double bogey on the 15 and made her lone birdie of the day on 18.

Schmelzel made a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th hole and stayed aggressive on the par-5 18th, knocking her 3-wood short of the green and chipping to a foot for a tap-in birdie and the low round of the championship.