The LPGA Tour got back to work on Thursday with the start of the JM Eagle LA Championship. Next week is the first major of the season, the Chevron Championship. This is the last chance for players to really focus on getting ready.

Madelene Sagstrom showed she was ready for Houston by getting the first ace of the season on her last hole, which helped her shoot a 65 in the first round. That’s really tough to beat.

Nelly Korda, who is ranked number one in the world, came in right behind Sagstrom with a score of 67, which is 5 under par. The fact that Korda hit every single green in regulation on Thursday really stood out. That is amazing in and of itself. She hadn’t done that since the 2023 BMW Ladies Championship.

In his first round, Korda made 8 birdies, including 4 in a row from holes 3 to 6. That’s a different kind of stuck.

In the end, she had six approach shots from 105 to 130 yards away, and the average distance between them was 7 feet, 8 inches. I’m going to take a chance and say that she is ready for next week in Houston.

The JM Eagle LA Championship keeps going on Friday. From 6pm to 9pm ET, you can watch it on Golf Channel.

Nelly Korda, world No. 1 golfer, smiling on the golf course.
Nelly Korda, the reigning world No. 1 golfer, has made a significant impact on the LPGA Tour with her exceptional skills and numerous victories.