Fresh Princess of Belliar Retains Her Tiara

Belliar, FL - Nelly Korda, The Fresh Princess of Bellair retains her tiara following the final round of the 2022 Pelican Women's Championship as well as her World Number One ranking.

What has been a very difficult year for Korda, after a health scare earlier in the year had her skeptical if she would return to the sport. A blood clot in her left arm forced Korda to take a good amount of time off - four months.

Struggling to gain her momentum back, only winning once on the European Tour, Korda was nothing short of emotional post round. In tears and left speechless after the news sunk in, just showed how much it meant to her.

What looked to be a repeat of last year's championship, had everyone at the edge of their seats. Lexi Thompson and Korda, went into the final round one stroke apart and only a few shots shy of leader Allisen Corpuz.

Thompson got to work early in her round. She carded 4 straight birdies on the front nine to take the solo lead from Corpuz. Korda, only one group ahead, did not let off the gas. Carding three birdies herself and trying to stay within arms distance of Thompson, she trailed by one.

After making the turn, play started to get shaky. Thompson boggied the 11th and on hole 12, a par three, misjudged the yardage putting her ball into the water. Taking a drop, she snugged the ball up close for an easy putt. She would walk away with a bogey.

Korda, never breaking composure coasted through her back nine. She went on to birdie 10, 13, 16 and 17 creating a two shot lead going into 18 over Thompson. However, the two strokes dwindled when Korda sent her second shot over the green into the sea of fans. Korda went on to make bogey, opening the door for Thompson. If Thompson can birdie, she would force another playoff.

Rebounding off her bogey stretch, Thompson had back to back birdies on the 13th hole and 14th. Looking to continue that momentum through the final stretch, Thomson pulled her drive on the 18th hole leaving her with a blind shot into the green. Her second shot missed the green to the right coming to rest in the pine straw and narrowly avoiding the water. Thompson carefully strategizing, decided to hit a soft pitch nearly holeing it out, and settled to two feet which was good enough for par.

With Thompson failing to make birdie she would not go on to force a playoff resulting in Korda successfully defending her Pelican Women's Championship title.

Next up, the two Korda and Thompson will travel down to Naples, FL for the CME followed by the QBE shootout where they will be the only two women representing the LPGA amongst a field of talented PGA Tour players.