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<\/p>\nPORTHCAWL, Wales \u2013 What does five-year-old golf fan Cece Snell think about Nelly Korda? \u201cShe\u2019s the best golfer in the world,\u201d Cece says, clutching a homemade sign that reads \u201cNELLY\u201d in bright-coloured letters.<\/p>\n
Cece, who picked Korda out as her favourite player after watching YouTube highlights with her father Joe Snell, is right. As the Rolex Rankings have stated for the past 108 weeks, the 27-year-old is the best in the world \u2013 even if the scoreboard at Royal Porthcawl, where the Women\u2019s Open is being staged, suggests otherwise at the moment with the Floridian ending the day on 2-under-par and tied for 10th, nine shots back of leader Miyu Yamashita (-11) from Japan.<\/p>\n
As Korda, a former Olympic champion and two-time major winner, teed off shortly after 8.30 a.m. on Friday alongside compatriot Angel Yin and Thailand\u2019s Ariya Jutanugarn, there was a sizable crowd already gathered, ready to follow every shot. Cece and her dad left home 85 miles away in Chippenham, England, at 6 a.m. to ensure they would catch sight of Korda. A nice surprise was her catching sight of them.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs soon as we got here we walked over to the putting green and Nelly was there,\u201d Joe, 31, says. \u201cCece was stood holding her sign and you could see the look in Nelly\u2019s eyes, this is why they do what they do.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beatrice Pearce, an 11-year-old golfer from Leeds who travelled to Spain with her mother Holly to watch Korda in the 2023 Solheim Cup, also has a paper sign. It says \u201cGo Nelly\u201d and features a Welsh dragon illustration. \u201cShe\u2019s really cool and seems like a very down-to-earth person,\u201d says Beatrice, who is hoping to return on Sunday to support Korda again. \u201cShe is nice and normal and isn\u2019t a show off.\u201d<\/p>\n
The crowd that followed Korda in their numbers on Friday are hoping she can pull herself into contention by Sunday. But they will be there either way as she tees off.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s been my favourite part over the last two years (of being world No. 1),\u201d Korda said when speaking to The Athletic. \u201cSeeing how many people have come out to support us. It\u2019s so much fun getting to play in front of them. Hopefully it\u2019s good golf, but no matter what, no matter the outcome, they\u2019re always there to support you. It\u2019s really fun to play in front of them.<\/p>\n
\u201cI find it fun that for me they take time out of their day. So, to sign signatures, wave at them and see the signs they make me, the least I can do is say hi to them.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Cece and Joe Snell. (Caoimhe O\u2019Neill \/ The Athletic)<\/p>\n
When Korda says \u201cus\u201d, she refers to her team. At the forefront of that is her caddie Jason McDede. He has been carrying her TaylorMade bag, which for this tournament is pink and has numerous cuddly toys dangling from it \u2014 much to the delight of Cece \u2014 since 2018.<\/p>\n
On Friday, McDede was always the first person to shout \u201cgreat shot\u201d at anything that looked good. He also stood out for the special green bib he wears, which signals Korda is the highest-ranked golfer on the planet. Her shot up an intimidating hill and onto the green at the sixth signalled her control of her golf swing and her power. Korda dropped the ball just at the back of the pin but was unable to execute the birdie opportunity \u2013 an unwanted theme of her week so far.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t really capitalise on anything in the calmer conditions on the front nine,\u201d Korda said. \u201cThen it got really windy on the back nine. I made a few more mistakes, but bounced back with some birdies. Overall, I\u2019m not going to complain with even-par.\u201d<\/p>\n
Beatrice was not alone with her \u201cWe\u2019re sticking with Nelly\u201d attitude when cheers went up in the distance for a Lottie Woad<\/a> birdie. And that is what they did for five hours \u2013 stuck with her.<\/p>\n Korda tried to stay warm by pulling on an extra pair of golf trousers and a Nike gilet. What she really needed was her putter to warm up and it did \u2013 kind of.<\/p>\n After making par on every hole on the front nine, sans a bogey on No. 4, Korda made four birdies on the back nine but three bogeys largely cancelled them out. The crowd that applauded most shots wherever they ended up wanted more from her and Korda wanted it from herself.<\/p>\n She jumped up and down after her second shot on No. 11, knowing it was on its way to a bunker but trying to somehow stop it. She made an easy escape but then lipped the hole with her putt. Cows in a nearby field groaned loudly, almost like they too were annoyed. At No. 12, when both Yin and Jutanugarn found sand, Korda found a birdie to go back under par.<\/p>\n Watch Nelly Korda’s second round in less than 60 seconds\u00a0\u23f1\ufe0f pic.twitter.com\/Jxk1ksb1T9<\/a><\/p>\n