Entertainment
Nelly Korda Near the Lead After First-Round 68 at Familiar Lake Nona
Nelly Korda is at it again at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club, kicking off her week at the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions with a 4-under 68 in the first round.
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Join us on WhatsAppThe 15-time LPGA Tour winner got things rolling early, picking up a pair of back-to-back birdies on the par-4 first and par-5 second holes to climb to 2-under immediately. A birdie on seven helped Korda turn in 33, and she then moved to 4-under for the round when she birdied the par-4 12th.
Another set of birdies on 14 and 15 lifted Korda to 6-under, but she stumbled coming down the stretch with a pair of bogeys on 16 and 17 that saw her ultimately post a 68, a round-one performance that has the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings No. 2 lurking two strokes behind 18-hole leader Nasa Hataoka and sitting in a tie for sixth early in Orlando.
“I started off birdie, birdie. Overall, it was solid. The greens are slick,” said Korda, who hit 15 of 18 greens on day one. “I made a couple of mistakes coming in – one three-putt and one missed green on 17. Overall, I’m happy with my round. (It’s just) Thursday, so hopefully, I can continue building momentum going into the next three days. But can’t complain.”
While Korda has yet to add the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions title to her resume, the 27-year-old has previously captured a victory at Lake Nona, winning the Gainbridge LPGA back in 2021. She has tallied five top-five results in her seven previous starts at what’s traditionally the first event on the LPGA Tour schedule each season, most recently coming in solo second to 2025 Tournament of Champions winner A Lim Kim last year.
So it’s certainly not a surprise to see Korda contending already after Thursday play, least of all to the major champion herself, who says that this property is reminiscent of her home course, The Concession Golf Club, in Bradenton, Fla., and whose self-belief is bolstered by her history with Lake Nona.
“It’s a good confidence boost knowing that I’ve played well on this golf course,” Korda said. You really have to be dialed off the tee, but the greens are really tricky out here. You have to really dial into the spots you want to hit it on. I think that’s what makes it so tough and also so fun for me. You really have to be precise to be on the right parts of the green.
“Overall, yeah, the confidence helps, but you also have to execute the shots, and that’s what I really like about Lake Nona.”
With three rounds remaining and cold conditions promising to plague the field throughout the weekend, a tall task awaits Korda over the next 54 holes if she wants a shot at what’s been an elusive win at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
But considering her propensity for strong performances at this golf course and the fact that she’s likely in much better form than some of her counterparts who enjoyed extensive off seasons because of her starts in both the Grant Thornton Invitational and PNC Championship, Nelly is never to be counted out when competing at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club, least of all when she’s searching for her first victory since November 2024.
Entertainment
Paige Spiranac’s surprising NFL fandom confession triggers heated debate over loyalty, authenticity, and fan culture
The 2026 NFL Draft starts Thursday night in Pittsburgh, and the spotlight isn’t only on prospects and front offices. Golf influencer Paige Spiranac has again found herself pulled into NFL conversation, this time for her open support of multiple teams.
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Join us on WhatsAppWith the Steelers hosting the first round, her long-standing connection to Pittsburgh has resurfaced. But it’s not just about hometown ties. Her broader fandom, which stretches beyond one franchise, continues to draw mixed reactions at a time when fan loyalty is often treated as non-negotiable.
Paige Spiranac roots for 2 NFL teams: Who are they?
Paige Spiranac has never hidden where her loyalties lie, even if they don’t fit the usual mold. She has consistently pointed to her roots while leaving space for other allegiances.
“Both my parents are from Pittsburgh so I’ve been a Steelers ..fan since the day I was born. I also love the Bills. It’s a complicated relationship…Who’s your team?” she previously asked her followers. It’s a candid admission, one that reflects personal history more than calculated fandom.
Still, the reaction has been sharp. NFL culture tends to rew ..
Entertainment
Quiet moments on the course can say a lot about what’s coming next.
Sometimes the most important work happens when nobody is really watching.
Lexi Thompson was out on the 18th green, working through her putting during a practice round ahead of the Chevron Championship in Houston.
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Join us on WhatsAppIt’s a simple scene, but it shows the kind of quiet preparation that goes into these big tournaments—getting the feel of the greens, adjusting to conditions, and building trust in every stroke.
These are the small details that can shape how a player starts when the pressure kicks in.
Entertainment
Predicting what will happen to Bryson DeChambeau and Phil Mickelson if LIV Golf collapses
It looks like LIV Golf is over.
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Join us on WhatsAppThe Saudi Public Investment Fund has reportedly decided that this league simply isn’t worth the hole it’s burning in their pocket, and they’re pulling funds at the end of 2026.
That gives them less than a year to seek new investment. While CEO Scott O’Neil seems confident, it’s going to be extremely difficult to secure funding for a league that is operating at such eye-watering losses.
So this probably pulls the curtain closed on one of the most turbulent, frustrating, confusing, and ridiculous eras in golfing history. Hopefully, we can all return to some reality after the year is over.
But there is still so much uncertainty surrounding golf’s future thanks to this. Brooks Koepka and Patrick Reed saw the signs early and jumped ship, but they did that with some leverage. So what on earth is going to happen to the rest of these players who didn’t take the olive branch when it was offered to them?
Feelings will be hurt, and careers will be ended. Let’s take a look.
Jon Rahm rejoins the PGA Tour
Koepka returned to the PGA Tour under the returning member program, which saw him pay $5 million to charity, accept that he’ll receive no FedEx Cup bonus money, and agree he cannot be a sponsor exemption for the 2026 signature events.
That same deal was offered to Jon Rahm and Bryson DeChambeau. They didn’t accept it, but a similar offer will likely be handed out to them again.
If LIV Golf folds, Rahm will not hold the same leverage as Koepka did, but he is a bigger star at this stage of his career. Make no mistake, the PGA Tour will want him back immediately.
But Rahm does risk leaving himself without any options at all. Reed didn’t come straight back to the PGA Tour, so he’s spending a year on the DP World Tour first. You’d imagine Rahm would consider doing the same, but it might not be so easy for him.
Rahm is in a feud with the DP World Tour, as the only one of eight players to reject a deal which would have seen him retain his full-time membership. If Rahm agreed to play in six DP World Tour events this year, then he could have played on both LIV Golf and the tour. He did not agree.
For now, his membership is at risk. So, will it be possible for him to spend a season on the DP World Tour like Reed? Maybe not. That makes it all the more likely that Rahm will be back on the PGA Tour the moment LIV folds.
Bryson DeChambeau does YouTube full-time
With DeChambeau, I don’t think it’s as much of a done deal that he returns to the PGA Tour. Not immediately anyway.
He’s been negotiating his contract with LIV, which expires at the end of this season. During these negotiations, he’s made it very clear that he is completely willing to step away from full-time competition and be a full-time YouTuber.
DeChambeau’s channel has over two million subscribers, so he could feasibly do that with all of the money he’s making there.
He was annoyed to see LIV move to a four-day format, so he could commit himself fully to being the content king. It would be a wild thing to do, but it’s also exactly the kind of move you could see the two-time major winner making.
He could qualify for The Open Championship and the US Open, and earn enough points there to play The Masters and the PGA Championship. It’s possible.
He does seem to live for competition, so maybe YouTube won’t quite scratch the itch, but it is on the table for DeChambeau. At least for a year until his suspension expires. Out of Rahm and DeChambeau, the American is absolutely the least likely to take a deal.
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