They understand the significance. And they appreciate it. If you watched the first round of the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Troon on Thursday, two things were immediately apparent: 1) you wouldn’t have put a Scottish Terrier out in that weather, and 2) the best female golfers in the game uttered nary a peep of complaint. In fact, most of them couldn’t wipe the smiles from their faces, even as shots floated hither and yon in winds that gusted upward of 50 mph.
“I have never played in that type of wind,” Nelly Korda said after shooting 1-over par. “I had a hard time walking the first three holes.”
Korda’s comments weren’t bitter. She was more in awe of what a different game links golf can be when the weather changes. “I played (Royal Troon) on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, but those rounds went straight out the door today,” she said.
How tough was it? On the first hole, which normally plays downwind and is a 4-iron or hybrid off the tee followed by a 9-iron or wedge to the green, Korda blistered a driver that ...
Get access to this article and all the quality, in-depth journalism of Global Golf Post Plus.
Sign Up for a FREE 14-Day Trial
or Log In