Golf stars Nelly Korda and Lydia Ko both shot impressive 67s in Friday’s second round at the Tournament of Champions, but it’s what happened behind the scenes that’s really interesting.
Both players made last-minute equipment switches overnight – and they’re not afraid to admit when something isn’t working.
Nelly Korda, currently the world’s top-ranked player, started the tournament with a brand new TaylorMade Qi35 driver. Despite hitting an impressive 12 of 14 fairways on Thursday, something just didn’t feel right.
"I went back to my old trusty Qi10 today," Korda explained after Friday’s round. "There are just some things I need to dial in a bit more with the new one."
It’s a reminder that even the best players sometimes prefer familiar equipment over the latest technology. The switch didn’t hurt her game – she’s sitting in third place, just four shots behind leader A Lim Kim heading into the weekend.
Lydia Ko had her own equipment drama. The world No. 2 struggled with her putting on Thursday, taking 31 putts – unusually high for her. She quickly went back to her trusted Scotty Cameron putter for round two.
The change paid off immediately. Ko needed just 28 putts on Friday, helping her match Korda’s excellent 67.
"I quickly realized that I shouldn’t abandon the putter that was so good to me last year," Ko said with a laugh. "Sometimes if it’s not broke, why change it? I learned that the hard way yesterday."
Ko had tried switching to a more forgiving, face-balanced putter style. But as she explained, sometimes newer isn’t always better: "When you’re under pressure, your stroke changes. I think when equipment is too forgiving, it can take some of the athleticism out of it."
Both players are in great position heading into the weekend at the Florida tournament. Korda is chasing what would be her eighth LPGA Tour win in just 12 months – a pretty remarkable streak for the American star.
The tournament leader, A Lim Kim, sits at 10-under-par, setting up what should be an exciting weekend of golf at the season-opening event.
