Nelly completes 'Korda Slam' of Australian Open wins, Latest Golf News - The New Paper
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Nelly completes 'Korda Slam' of Australian Open wins

Nelly Korda added to an amazing family tradition of winning top titles Down Under by claiming the LPGA Australian Open by two shots in Adelaide and celebrating with a scissors kick yesterday.

The world No. 16 golfer has been the form player of recent months, and the 20-year-old has now scored two wins and two other top-three finishes in her last five events.

In carding a 17-under 271 and holding off South Korea's Ko Jin Young, Korda joined her father, sister and brother in being crowned an Open champion on Australian soil.

Dad Petr got the ball rolling by winning the Australian Open tennis Grand Slam in 1998, beating Marcelo Rios, and celebrated with his trademark scissor kick.

Her sister Jessica then won the Australian Open golf in 2012, duplicating her father's celebration, as did brother Sebastian when he took out the Australian Open tennis boys' title last year.

Not to be outdone, Nelly also nailed the "Korda Kick" after her final-round 67.

After tapping in a par putt at the 18th hole, she was handed a phone and her elder sister was looking at her through Facetime.

Said Nelly: "She was pretty much screaming congratulations, she was so happy for me.

"I mean this win was really special for my family. I think there's something in the air here, we love coming Down Under.

PART OF THE CLUB

"I just got off the phone with my Dad and he said 'well, congratulations, you're part of the Korda Slam now'."

Nelly was the overnight leader and held her nerve despite a bogey on the 15th to beat Ko by two and Taiwan's Hsu Wei-ling by five.

Thailand's world No. 1 Ariya Jutanugarn finished 15 adrift.

Ariya, Nelly and several of the world's top women's golfers, including defending champion Michelle Wie, will be in Singapore for the HSBC Women's World Championship from Feb 28 to March 3. - AFP

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