ORLANDO, Fla. — It’s a great week to be a TaylorMade athlete at Lake Nona.
Brooke Henderson and Nelly Korda — the two newest members of Team TaylorMade — highlight the top of the leaderboard at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions through 54 holes. Henderson holds the top spot on the board at 14 under, while Korda sits three shots back.
“It’s just so much fun to be in contention and in the final groups on the weekend and right in the mix,” Henderson said. “That’s the best feeling that there is.”
Coming into the week, a Henderson-Korda Sunday duel seemed unlikely at best. During the brief offseason, each star made wholesale changes to their equipment setups as they signed with TaylorMade. Gear changes are common at the highest levels of pro golf, but having this much success this early with a new setup isn’t quite so customary.
No one knew what to expect from two of the biggest stars in the women’s game when they arrived at Lake Nona. Korda was announced as a TaylorMade signee on Monday as she arrived in Central Florida, while Henderson’s signing was not made official until Wednesday. Both spent the early week feeling out their games with the new equipment as they prepared for the first event of the year.
Through three rounds, it appears the gear switch will be seamless.
“I [am] very comfortable,” Korda said of her new setup. “Overall, I was extremely happy with the way my clubs were flying. The shots that I kind of missed, that was because of me.”
Thus far, there haven’t been many shots that have missed their mark. Korda, who’s searching for win No. 9 on the LPGA Tour, posted rounds of 68, 69 and 68 to share second place with Nasa Hataoka. Henderson, looking for her 13th LPGA title, posted rounds of 67, 66 and 69 to pace the field.
“There have been lots of bonuses and lots of perks with the new switch,” Henderson said. “Obviously shooting multiple rounds under par with a lot of birdies. A lot the things are going right.”
Time will tell how the switch to TaylorMade plays out over the course of a full season, but through 54 holes of the 2023 campaign, there are tons of reasons for optimism. Korda might’ve put it best as she spoke with the media earlier this week.
“Team TM is thriving.”
