Jessica Korda has dedicated her spectacular 60 in yesterday’s third round of the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions to her father, Petr, a Grand Slam tennis champion, who celebrated his 53rd birthday on the same day.
Petr, the 1998 Australian Open tennis winner and once ranked as high as No 2 in the world, was on-site at the Four Seasons Golf & Sports Club in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, to witness his daughter card the 11-under-par round.
“It’s dad’s 53rd birthday today. He was loving it out here. Honestly, today was just about dad.,” said Jessica, who has five LPGA titles to her name including the 2015 Sime Darby LPGA Malaysia.
Jessica’s mother, Regina, was also out on the golf course watching her and younger sister Nelly – a three-time LPGA winner – in action. Petr has caddied for both his daughters in the early stages of their careers.
Jessica started out with two successive birdies and parred the rest of the front nine. She then got hot on the par-37 home stretch, nailing seven birdies and an eagle for an inward 28 to card only the fifth 60 in LPGA history.
“I don’t know what happened. I just turned it up. I had a lot of great looks and we were just really relaxed all day,” noted the 27-year-old. “Days like today don’t come often, so you really cherish them when they do. Everything has to come together to have a day like today.”
Swedish legend Annika Sorenstam, who is in the field as a celebrity, holds the record for the LPGA’s lowest round with her 13-under-par 59 in the second round the 2001 Standard Register Ping.
