Nelly Korda plummets to missed cut with an 81; Sarah Schmelzel, Amy Yang grab Women's PGA lead

SAMMAMISH, Wash. - World No. 1 Nelly Korda had a disastrous day at Sahalee Country Club on Friday, shooting her worst score of the year with a 9-over par 81 to miss the cut at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship as Sarah Schmelzel and Amy Yang grabbed the tournament lead.

Korda was just a shot off the overnight lead held by Lexi Thompson after the first round on Thursday. Korda's 3-under par 69 tied her with Patty Tavatanakit after the first day of action at Sahalee. But absolutely nothing went right for the world's best player on a warm Friday afternoon in Sammamish.

Korda bogeyed her first four holes, and five of the first six she played on Friday afternoon. She made the turn with a six-over front nine as more bogeys followed on the back side. Korda bogeyed the par-5 11th and par-4 14th, and then flew her second shot over the green and out-of-bounds on the par-4 15th. Korda made double bogey on No. 15 to fall outside the cut-line and a closing birdie at the 18th wasn't enough for Korda to see the weekend.

"It’s just golf recently for me. No words for how I’m playing right now. I’m just going to go home and try to reset," a very emotional Korda told reporters after her round.

Korda shot an 80 in the first round of the U.S. Women's Open last month on the heels of a 10 on the par-3 12th hole, which saw three shots find the water. But Friday's collapse was much more stunning for the best player in the world. 

It's the first time in Korda's career she's missed the cut in three straight starts. She also missed the cut last week at the Meijer LPGA Classic by a shot after a shaky opening round effort. Per stats guru Justin Ray, Korda's 81 is the highest round in a major championship by a reigning No. 1 player in the world since the women's Rolex Rankings were established in 2006.

"I just feel like that's been my last three events, just nothing is really…. A lot went my way at the beginning part of the year, and just giving it back," said Korda, who had five straight wins and victories in six of seven starts in climbing to the top of the Rolex Rankings.

Schmelzel delivered the low-round of the tournament on Friday morning with a 5-under par 67 to surge to the lead. Schmelzel netted six birdies on her round with a lone bogey coming at the par-3 13th hole, courtesy of a three-putt from just over 30 feet.

"Staying aggressive off the tees is kind of our game plan this week," Schmelzel said. "I drove it really well, so fortunately I was able to take advantage of having some shorter irons in today. Saw a few putts go in early, which always helps build the confidence for the rest of the day and fortunately just kept the momentum all day."

Schmelzel led the field in strokes gained off the tee on Friday. With the greens at Sahalee getting firmer and firmer amid another 80-degree day, the ability to hit clubs with more loft into the putting surfaces proved a real advantage.

"Even when we have had 8-irons and 9-irons, we're still playing up the mouth of the green because the pin is tucked over a downslope, and you're just not getting close to it," Schmelzel said. "It is nice to have a 9-iron instead of 7-iron. I think overall, for the rest of the weekend, I think it does play a bit of an advantage."

In the afternoon wave, Amy Yang managed to solve the toughening conditions with a bogey-free 4-under 68 that moved her into a tie with Schmelzel at the top of the leaderboard, two shots clear of the rest of the field.

"I work hard for this, and I get nervous out there, but we have 36 more holes and that's a lot of golf. Just got to stay patient throughout the day," Yang said.

Yang said she has been dealing with a back issue recently that was a factor throughout the round this afternoon. 

"I was still striking the ball really well like yesterday, and so I thought it would be fine," she said.

"I woke up today and starting few holes was feeling a little pain on my lower back, but I fight through really well and that actually gave me more like focus out there. Make sure I put even more like focus on each shot. Yeah, it worked out well."

Yang relied on her short game to keep her scorecard clear with eight scrambling par saves on the day. She led the field in strokes gained around the green on Friday, and was top ten in putting.

"Because of my back, I had -- I feel like I wasn't hitting quite well out there, but I was actually hitting full distances," Yang said. "So had a little confusion here and there, but I made really good up and downs. Putting worked really well, so I think that helped a lot."

Yang made birdies on the 6th, 7th, 15th and 18th, which saw her stick a wedge shot inside two feet for a closing flourish to join Schmelzel atop the leaderboard.

Former No. 1 player in the world Jin Young Ko is tied with Thompson in second place, two shots behind Schmelzel at 4-under par. Ko delivered a 4-under 68 in the morning to climb into the hunt after an opening round of even par on Thursday.

Ko was bogey-free through 16 holes before her only bogey of the day at the par-4 8th, which is playing as the toughest hole on the course so far this week. 

"I played really well," Ko said. "I mean, I make two birdies on No. 10 and 11. I start No. 10, so it was good start. So, yeah, I thought I could make more, but I'm happy with finish 4-under."

Speaking to the firming conditions, Ko said the ball landing on the greens was sounding just like a ball hitting a cart path.

"I can hear when the ball is landing on the green. It's like cart path. Was so fun," Ko said. "Even I was hitting wedges 58 and 52 (degrees), I can hear the, like, cart path. It's so tough, but it's so fun."

While Ko got it done on Friday by leading the field in stokes gained approaching the green, everyone else that had strong days seemingly did it with success off the tee. Schmelzel, Haeran Ryu – who matched Schmelzel with a 5-under 67 in the afternoon – and Stephanie Kyriacou with her 3-under 69, and Miyu Yamashita with a 2-under 70 all were top 10 in the field in strokes gained off the tee.

Ryu had six birdies on her opening nine on Friday, with a lone bogey on the par-5 11th.

"Honestly, I was nervous because I didn't make the cut last year at KPMG. But I'm happy with my score today. I get to sleep in tomorrow," Ryu said.

Ryu credited a change to the TaylorMade Qi10 driver the week of the U.S. Women's Open in helping fuel her strong driving performance.

"This question is going to make TaylorMade happy," Ryu said with a laugh. "I switched into the new Qi10 during the middle of U.S. Open and took it to Korea for last two weeks and tested out and I really liked it. The performance was really good throughout the week."

Thompson had an opening nine of 3-under par 33 to climb as high as 7-under par for the tournament in the morning. A double bogey on the par-5 2nd hole, and bogeys on No. 4 and No. 8 contributed to falling back to even par for the day and 4-under par for the tournament.

"Every day out here you know you're going to hit some bad shots that maybe get penalized by the trees and you have to take your medicine with either pitching out or just getting it back in position," Thompson said.

"Just really trying to stay in the moment and committing to small targets out there. And just my game plan going into the week. Like I said, there will be bogeys but take advantage of few birdie opportunities you get out there."

Thompson, Ko, and 2019 Women's British Open champion Hinako Shibuno are tied for third at 4-under par. Shibuno's 2-under par 70 was fueled by three straight birdies to open the morning on the 10th-12th holes.

Ryu, Miyu Yamashita, and Leona Maguire all sit at 3-under par.

"Course is firming up a lot. It's dried out quite a bit, especially from yesterday morning where it was still quite dewy when we played," said Maguire after her 1-under par 71 on Friday. "Fairways are running a lot faster and greens are starting to firm up. That first bounce into the greens has got quite a bit bigger. So really just having to adjust to that on the fly."

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