Nelly Korda (-6) has reignited Pelican Golf Club. The American, winner of the tournament in 2024, has delivered an impressive 63 in the second round of The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge and even prompted Lebron James, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, to interrupt his Friday to praise her on X. It’s not something that happens every day.
The fact is that King Lebron’s reaction perfectly describes Korda’s round. She came from a lacklustre start, a 71 without a single birdie that left her frustrated. “I’m not a robot,” she commented afterwards. 24 hours later, her response was an exhibition: two pairs of birdies on the first nine holes, and she finished with three more on the 16th, 17th, and 18th, delivering a 63 that is pure fuel for a player who knows Pelican like her own backyard and who hasn’t won in 2025.
While Nelly accelerated, the Spanish focus experienced a day of ups and downs. The toughest news comes from Azahara Muñoz (+3), who has lost her LPGA card. She needed to make the cut and push for a final sprint towards the top 100 of the season. She fell two shots short with a painful finish: a double bogey on the last hole extinguished any chance. A cruel ending for a player who had been fighting hard. She now faces a return to the Final Qualifying School, an exam she passed last year to regain her card when she was in an identical situation. She will try again.
It should be noted that Azahara will be able to play some tournaments next year with the category she retains (just outside the top 100), but they are very few, which is why she will compete in the Final Qualifying School to try to improve her situation and increase the number of tournaments.
The brightest note of the day was left by Carlota Ciganda (-6). The Navarrese is playing with confidence. She has sealed a great round of 65 strokes and is tied with Nelly Korda, just three shots off the lead shared by Grace Kim and Linn Grant (-9), and is once again in a position to do something significant over the weekend.
Julia López has also given herself a chance. Her 67 today is worth more than just making the cut: the Andalusian enters the weekend with momentum and keeps the dream of the CME Tour Championship alive. She has the circuit’s Final in mind, and if she repeats Friday’s scorecard, she will get closer to the goal. 36 holes to know the outcome, and she must aim for the top ten to get closer to the objective. All to play for.
Kai Trump (+18) has bid farewell to the tournament with a more than respectable round of 75 strokes. After an initial round of 83 strokes, she played much more freely and finished her LPGA debut with a total of +18, closing in the last position.
