TheSportsCampus

American Jessica Korda won her first professional title at the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open with a birdie on the second sudden death play-off hole at Royal Melbourne where she eliminated five other players.

Korda, whose father Petr won the Australian Open tennis championship in 1998, started the day with a one stroke lead and shot a final round of one over 74 before making a 25-foot putt in the play-off to secure the win on an afternoon of persistent rain showers.

Korda defeated Americans Stacy Lewis (70) and Brittany Lincicome (71), Paraguayan Julieta Granada (71), and South Koreans Hee Kyung Seo (73) and So Yeon Ryu (73) in the six-way playoff for the title.

Jessica and Petr Korda have now completed a rare father-daughter dual sport Australian Open double.

"When we spoke on Monday Dad said Melbourne had been good to him. As I was walking around here, there was a Melbourne sign on every green. It made me smile because it reminds me of the good times. I love watching Melbourne tennis. I watched all the time. It is a really special place for my family. For my first win, I honestly could not have thought of a better place," said Korda, aged 18 years , 11 months and 16 days.

On her father's reaction, she revealed: "That he was so proud of me and we'll talk about the three-putts after."

Korda had a steady front nine but a string of three straight bogeys from the 14th led to intense drama over the play-off hole, the 18th.

Of the playoff, Korda said: "I was thinking really clearly. I had one concept in my head...I was really calm. I knew what the putt did because I'd had it before and it did not move. I was a little higher up and more to the right. I knew the line and I knew the speed. All I had to do was just hit it. It started breaking. I thought, Oh my goodness no, don't lip out, don't break too early. I don't even know what side of the hole it hit. I was overwhelmed by everything."

The second year LPGA professional from Bradenton, Florida, is now unofficially projected to move from No. 285 to No. 30 on the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings. Her previous best finish was a tie for 16th at the 2011 Avnet LPGA Classic.