Nelly Korda
STILLWATER, Okla. (Oct. 10, 2015) – Nelly Korda of Bradenton, Florida, carded a 4-under-par 68 in the first round of The PING Invitational to lead the Girls Division. In the Boys Division, Spencer Soosman of Westlake Village, California, also carded a 4-under-par 68 to sit atop the Boys Division leaderboard at Karsten Creek.
Korda’s 68 was the lowest score she has recorded at Karsten Creek in six rounds of AJGA competition. The senior’s top finish at The PING Invitational was T12 at the 2014 tournament. During 2015, Korda has posted three top-10 Invitational finishes and represented the United States at the PING Junior Solheim Cup.
“I was hitting almost every fairway and hit 16 greens so it was pretty solid today,” Korda said. “I can’t complain with an under-par score out here. The course is one of the most difficult I’ve played. The greens are ridiculously hard with the speed and the slope. I love the challenge and it’s always a good one when you come out here.”
Andrea Lee of Hermosa Beach, California, and Kaitlyn Papp of Austin, Texas, are tied for second at 1-under-par 71. Sierra Brooks of Sorrento, Florida, Kristen Gillman of Austin, Texas, and Jaravee Boonchant of Bangkok, Thailand, round out the top five at at 1-over-par 73.
Five of the six girls finishing in the top five played together on the victorious United States PING Junior Solheim Cup team in September.
Soosman recorded five birdies and only one bogey en route to his 4-under-par 68. The senior finished T22 at The PING Invitational in 2014 and has three career AJGA victories. The Rolex Junior All-American is verbally committed to UCLA. Soosman believed that his previous experience on the course set him up for success because he was aware of certain spots on the course he didn’t want to end up in. Before heading to college next fall, Soosman is determined to win a stroke-play Invitational. Soosman previously won the 2014 Polo Golf Junior Classic, a match-play Invitational.
“I set my goals for myself every year, and every day I try to get better and better,” Soosman said. “One of those goals is winning a stroke-play Invitational, and I’m just going to keep chugging along and try to win it this week.”
Matthew Wolff of Agoura Hills, California, sits in second at 1-under-par 71, while Noah Goodwin of Cornith, Texas, is in third at even-par 72. John Pak of Scotch Plains, New Jersey, Austin Eckroat of Edmond, Oklahoma, and Jake Milanowski of Peachtree City, Georgia, are T4 with 1-over-par 73s.
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ABOUT THE
AJGA PING Invitational
One of the AJGA series of tournaments that
require an invitation to participate. Format is 54
holes of stroke play.
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