Nelly Korda’s resurgence shines as she shoots up leaderboard at LPGA’s Portland Classic

Photo by Oisin Keniry/R&A/R&A via Getty Images

Since Korda returned from injury, she has been refining her game. This week at the LPGA’s Portland Classic, it seems better than ever.

After the first round of the LPGA’s Portland Classic, Nelly Korda sits two shots off leader Perrine Delacour, who carded a bogey-free 63.

Korda fired off a 65 herself Thursday at Columbia Edgewater Country Club. The weather was far from ideal, but she still found ways to go low.

“It’s tough to play in the rain, and there is a lot more going on, as in trying to stay dry, and it’s a little bit more hectic, but overall, it didn’t really dump on us,” Korda said after her round. “It stayed consistent throughout the day.”

She finished the round with eight birdies and one bogey on her final hole of the day, the par-4 18th.

Korda has had to battle this year. She started the season with a blood clot in her arm. Most recently, the 25-year-old had to take some time away from golf due to a back injury. However, she returned for the U.S. Women’s Open. It wasn’t her best performance, as Korda finished T64.

The former No. 1 in the world has got better with time though. She finished T9 at the Amundi Evian Championship, T11 at the AIG Women’s Open and last week it was a T32 at the CPKC Women’s Open.

“I played really well before it, and then when I came back, it was very hard to get into the groove of things,” Korda said. “I came back to pretty much four majors in a row, so definitely tough golf courses, firm golf courses where it’s kind of hard to get your confidence back. One step at a time, I think. I’m pushing in the right direction.”

Korda fired off her third round in the 60s since she returned in July. Now that she has been back for four weeks, it could be the right time for her to take charge of the LPGA Tour again.

Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. You can follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports for more golf coverage. Be sure to check out @_PlayingThrough too.