Nelly Korda, Linn Grant post 7-under 63s in birdie fest Friday at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican

By Annie Watson

BELLEAIR, Fla. – As the penultimate event on the LPGA calendar, The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican has become a storied test of resilience, especially on a course known for, in the words of defending champion Nelly Korda, “greens where it’s literally like glass”.

 

Yet she wasn’t the only one who caught birdie fever on Friday.  

 

Korda came into the clubhouse with a 7-under 63 on the day, putting her at 6-under and three shots back of the lead. Topping off an impressive day at Pelican —  a course that is being loosely coined as “Nelly’s Playground” —  she was 14-of-14 on fairways hit and made 17 of 18 greens in her bogey-free round. 

 

“[Today] I think I just capitalized on my good shots,” Korda said. “When you are hitting it well off the tee on some of those shorter holes you can capitalize, and you have shorter wedges in.”

 

“At the end of the day, you have to make the putts and I just wasn’t doing that yesterday; I did that today.”

 

After shooting three bogeys on the front nine Thursday and only one birdie on the back nine, Swede Linn Grant also shot a 63, her best round of the season and enough to give her a share of the lead with Grace Kim at 9-under heading into Moving Day. Starting the second round on No. 10, Grant posted her only bogey of the day, which relaxed her heading into the first of three consecutive birdies.

 

“Sometimes bogey on the first kind of helps you just to get more motivated,” Grant said. “Like I didn’t hold too tight on my putter. I just felt more relaxed.”

 

“I feel like it's easier for me to go out tomorrow and feel like I'm having fun. It's been my motto for these two days. I think I'm just going to continue to do that and see where it goes.”

 

Grace Kim secured her lead early in the afternoon at 9-under, and, similarly to her co-leader, credits her low round from Friday on her mentality as much as the conditions and her short game.

 

“I just kind of kept my mojo going [today] and stayed in my lane really,” the Aussie said.

 

Coming into her first appearance at The ANNIKA since 2023, Kim has her first win in two years — a major, no less — and a victory for Team Australia at the International Crown less than a month ago. Heading into the weekend, sharing the lead this time means Kim can capitalize on the mental game instead of being crippled by it.

 

“It’s been nice to be able to get it all done this year, [so] when I do doubt myself, I just tell myself I got it done before,” she said. “There is nothing holding me back.” 

 

As for maintaining her position on the leaderboard, Kim reflects on where she was at this point in the week of her major victory this year. “Obviously at [the Amundi] Evian I came from behind. Just being able to be comfortable in that position…it’s kind of where everyone wants to be.”

 

“But obviously the tournament isn’t finished yet.”

 

American Lauren Coughlin knows those seven words all too well in her history at Pelican Golf Club. While she is currently tied for sixth at 6-under at The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge, it was not too long ago when she needed a solid round at this course to keep her Tour card. 

 

Coming into the 2021 edition of this tournament, Coughlin was 106th in the CME Group Tour rankings, on the verge of needing to go to Q-School to maintain her status on Tour. 

 

She walked away from Pelican Golf Club with her Tour card for the next season.

 

“I can still tell you almost exactly where I was on the 18th fairway when I hit the shot on the final round,” Coughlin said. “I can still picture it, and I think that’s why this place is so special to me.”

 

Now with two wins, a Solheim Cup appearance and a top 20 ranking to her name, the fan-favorite remains bogey-free after two rounds at this year’s The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, confident in her game and what the course will throw her way.

 

“I think you really have to control where you miss on this golf course,” Coughlin said. “I think that’s what I’m really good at, making sure that I’m not only thinking about it in the right sense, but also controlling my golf ball and hitting it where I’m trying to hit it the majority of the time.”

 

Fellow American and major champion Jennifer Kupcho heads into the weekend one shot back at 8-under, tied with first-round leader Haeran Ryu. Three-time LPGA champion Gaby Lopez holds solo fifth place at 7-under. 
Tee times for the third round of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican start at 7:25 a.m. at the 1st tee.