Women's Golf

HOW CISCO IS HELPING POWER NELLY KORDA AND THE LPGA

September 10, 2021 by Tara S

BY: Emma Hruby | Just Women’s Sports

Not even Nelly Korda predicted the year she would have on the golf course.

After COVID-19 forced the suspension of part of the 2020 season, Korda has doubled her wins on the LPGA Tour in 2021, claimed her first major title at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and won a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics. The 23-year-old enters the Solheim Cup this weekend ranked No. 1 in the world after the most dominant season on tour of any women’s golfer.

Cisco has been following Korda’s career ascent with pride.

The technology company partners with Korda and eight other golfers across the PGA, LPGA and APGA Tours, creating one of the most diverse rosters of athlete brand ambassadors in golf. When Cisco signed Korda along with older sister Jessica Korda and Danielle Kang in January 2020, she was coming off of a few titles and her first top-10 ranking, but the company couldn’t have known how quickly she would rise.

The reputation Korda has built since then is what makes her an ideal representative of Cisco’s mission in golf. Through their involvement in the sport, Cisco is committed to creating more visibility for women’s golf and ultimately inspiring the next generation of female golfers.

“The last 18 months have truly been a whirlwind,” Korda said. “Obviously when I partnered with Cisco at the beginning of last year, no one could have imagined what would come with the Tour being suspended and the world really coming to a halt.

“But to come out of such an uncertain time playing the best golf of my career, and to win my first major championship, become World No. 1 and win an Olympic gold medal all in the last few months is more than I ever could have dreamed.”

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Papp Pulls Out First Professional Victory

August 2, 2021 by Tara S

Beaumont, TX) – The final round of the Babe Zaharias Open has concluded and it was a shootout. Several players were able to take advantage of the favorable conditions round four had to offer and two Texas Longhorns and a Texas Tech Red Raider battled it out for 18 holes.

Kaitlyn Papp (Austin, TX) held a three-shot lead heading into the final round of the Babe Zaharias Open. Papp found herself in familiar territory as last week, as she was once again in the final group in the final round. This time however, Papp came into the final round with the lead and she was determined to keep that lead. Starting her day with a birdie, Papp wanted to send a message early that last week would not be a normal final round. The other two players in her group were Greta Voelker (Germany) and Sofia Garcia (Paraguay) who both put on the pressure all day, but Papp answered the call. Even when Garcia tied the heading into 18, Papp never seemed phased. Garcia would hit it right off the tee and into the trees, while Papp would put it right down the middle. Garcia shortsided herself in the greenside bunker and could not get up and down. Papp found the middle of the green on 18 and was able to two-putt to become the 2021 Babe Zaharias Open Champion!

The top-5 for the Race to Stage II also concluded in Beaumont. The top-5 to end the season were Jessica Porvasnik, Sofia del Rosario, Gabby Then, Ginger Howard, and Sofia Garcia. Congratulations ladies and good luck in Florida at Stage II!

The Women’s All Pro Tour would like to thank Beaumont Country Club and the city of Beaumont for their hospitality and help all week. A very special thank you to Head Professional Jeff Cooper, Tournament Director Roni Stephenson, Volunteer Chair Cindy Lindsay, Housing Coordinator Jodi Meaux, and Course Superintendent Brandon Johnson.

Philippine Saso Steals Show With Playoff Win at Olympic

June 8, 2021 by Tara S

76th U.S. Women’s Open Home

What Happened

The Olympic Club struck again. Just as in the five U.S. Opens contested on the club’s Lake Course, the first U.S. Women’s Open Championship played over this iconic Bay Area layout wasn’t kind to the favored final-round frontrunner.

Olympic’s list of past victims includes Ben Hogan, Arnold Palmer, Tom Watson, Jim Furyk and Payne Stewart, and Lexi Thompson can now be added to the remarkable list of players who have come up short in championship bids here.

Thompson, the 54-hole leader, was five strokes ahead of her closest pursuers on a beautiful early June Sunday with 10 holes remaining, only to play the final eight in 5 over par, including consecutive bogeys on Nos. 17 and 18 that left the 26-year-old Floridian with a final-round 75, one agonizing stroke shy of the playoff between Yuka Saso and Nasa Hataoka at 4-under 280.

It took three holes to decide the outcome. Saso converted a 12-foot birdie putt on the first sudden-death playoff hole (No. 9) after both players made back-to-back pars in the two-hole aggregate playoff. At 19 years, 11 months, 17 days old, Saso joined World Golf Hall of Fame member and seven-time major winner Inbee Park as the youngest champion in U.S. Women’s Open history – to the day. She also becomes the first player from the Philippines to engrave her name on the Harton S. Semple Trophy. Princess Mary Superal (2014 U.S. Girls’ Junior) is the only other player from the Philippines to claim a USGA title.

“I don’t know what’s happening in the Philippines right now, but I’m just thankful that there’s so many people in the Philippines cheering for me,” said Saso, a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour of Japan. “I don’t know how to thank them. They gave me so much energy. I want to say thank you to everyone.”

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