On the 9th hole at El Caballero Country Club—a short par-3 stretching just 127 yards—Madelene Sagstrom surprised everyone with an ace, marking her first career hole-in-one and the first on the LPGA Tour this season. While Sagstrom modestly celebrated by lifting her arms, it was Nelly Korda who reacted with the most excitement. Korda, waiting to take her tee shot, was visibly thrilled and immediately congratulated her fellow competitor.
Despite the excitement, Korda had to quickly regain her composure to finish her round. She later shared that although she didn’t see the ball drop into the hole, she was the first to give Sagstrom a high five. Korda then stepped up for her own shot but ended up three-putting, resulting in a bogey on the final hole—despite hitting all 18 greens in regulation throughout the round. That bogey placed her tied for 15th as she begins her title defense at the Chevron Championship.
Sagstrom records her first career hole-in-one and the first ace on the LPGA Tour this season.@LPGA | @JMEagleLAChamp https://t.co/39NDaJwCE4
— LPGA Media (@LPGAMedia) April 17, 2025
Reflecting on her performance, Korda noted that aside from the misstep on the last hole, she felt strong overall, especially in her ball-striking. She’s made some swing adjustments recently and is seeing progress. She fired four consecutive birdies on the back nine and finished the round with a 5-under 67.
As the top-ranked player in the world, Korda is looking to rediscover the dominant form she showed in 2024. While 2025 has been solid so far, she hasn’t quite hit the same stride. Nonetheless, she remains optimistic as she heads into the next rounds, teeing off at 12:59 PM ET on Friday.