Nelly Korda, Annika Sorenstam get comeback tee times, and you’ve got to love this teen group in US Women’s Open

Annika Sorenstam. Rich Schultz

By Tod Leonard
Nelly Korda, who has been sidelined since mid-March with a blood clot in her arm, will make her return to golf in the US Women’s Open on Thursday when the World No. 2 tees off in the afternoon at Pine Needles.

The USGA has announced the groupings for the first two rounds, and the younger of the Korda sisters will play with another golfer who has been batting an ailment of late. Danielle Kang is set to go off with Korda and Atthaya Thitikul at 2.24pm EDT, and the American star has been dealing with a back injury that continued to bother her at last week’s LPGA Match play, where she was eliminated after group play.

MORE: Meet Malak, the first Arab to play at US Women’s Open

In a tournament with numerous compelling storylines, World Golf Hall of Famer Annika Sorenstam, 51, returns to the Women’s Open for the first time since 2008 after qualifying by capturing last year’s US Senior Women’s Open. She starts at 8:50am on Thursday with So Yeon Ru and 22-year-old amateur Ingrid Lindblad, the No. 2-ranked amateur in the world.

Michelle Wie West, champion of the 2014 Women’s Open, said last week that she would step away from competitive golf after this tournament, though she desires to also play in next year’s championship at Pebble Beach. Wie West is grouped with Brittany Lang and Sung Hyun Park at 1.36pm on Thursday.

World No. 1 Jin Young Ko is in a marquee group, of course, paired with Americans Lexi Thompson and Jennifer Kupcho at 8.39am. The defending champion from last year at The Olympic Club, Yuka Saso is playing at 8.22am with reigning US Women’s Amateur champ Jensen Castle and Anna Nordqvist, winner of the 2021 Women’s British Open.

In “The Kids Are Alright” grouping at 2.35pm on Thursday, the USGA put together 19-year-old pro Lucy Li, 19-year-old recent NCAA Championships individual winner Rose Zhang, and 16-year-old Anna Davis, who scored a shocking victory in April at the Augusta National Women’s Amateur.

Round 1 tee times
Tee No. 1
7.15am – Allison Emrey, Nicole Garcia, Lauren Miller
7.26am – Kathleen Scavo, Alicia Joo, Jillian Hollis
7.37am – Grace Kim, Minsol Kim, Catherine Park
7.48am – Bailey Davis, Gemma Dryburgh, Amanda Doherty
7.59am – Allisen Corpuz, Annie Park, Lilia Vu
8.10am – Eun-Hee Ji, Andrea Lee, Ai Suzuki
8.21am – Alison Lee, Amy Olson, Matilda Castren
8.32am – Yuka Saso, Jensen Castle, Anna Nordqvist
8.43am – Mirim Lee, Angel Yin, Brittany Altomare
8.54am – Maja Stark, Pajaree Anannarukarn, Sakura Koiwai
9.05am – Hannah Green, Jessica Korda, Lydia Ko
9.16am – Pornanong Phatlum, Jaye Marie Green, Mayu Hamada
9.27am – Beth Wu, Auston Kim, Linnea Johansson
12.45pm – Blakesly Brock, Alexa Pano, Sofia Garcia
12.56pm – Gabriela Ruffels, Laney Frye, Cheyenne Knight
1.07pm – Robynn Ree, Muni He, Malak Bouraeda
1.18pm – Na Yeon Choi, Pernilla Lindberg, In-Kyung Kim
1.29pm – Momoko Ueda, Moriya Jutanugarn, Bohyun Park
1.40pm – Hinako Shibuno, Georgia Hall, Sophia Popov
1.51pm – In Gee Chun, Megan Khang, Ryann O’Toole
2.02pm – Mina Harigae, Carlota Ciganda, Hyejin Choi
2.13pm – Hyo Joo Kim, Nanna Koerstz Madsen, Xiyu Janet Lin
2.24pm – Danielle Kang, Nelly Korda, Atthaya Thitikul
2.35pm – Rose Zhang, Lucy Li, Anna Davis
2.46pm – Lauren Hartlage, Ami Gianchandani, Julianne Alvarez
2.57pm – Jeonghyun Lee, Britney Yada, Yunxuan Michelle Zhang

Tee No. 9
7.00am – Anna Morgan, Gabby Lemieux, Ingrid Gutierrez
7.11am – Lauren Kim, Mariel Galdiano, Melanie Gree
7.33am – Caroline Masson, Angela Stanford, Mel Reid
7.44am – So Mi Lee,Pia Babnik, Louise Duncan
7.55am – Ariya Jutanugarn, Stacy Lewis, Yealimi Noh
8.06am – Marina Alex, Wayne, Ally Ewing, Gaby Lopez
8.17am – A Lim Kim, Mao Saigo, Madelene Sagstrom
8.28am – Nasa Hataoka, Minjee Lee, Brooke Henderson
8.39am – Lexi Thompson, Jennifer Kupcho, Jin Young Ko
8.50am – Annika Sorenstam, So Yeon Ryu, Ingrid Lindblad
9.01am – Tiffany Chan, Lauren Gomez, Daniela Darquea
9.12am – Nika Ito, Alyaa Abdul, Kylee Choi
12.30pm – Frida Kinhult, Saki Baba, Yuna Takagi
12.41pm – Isi Gabsa, Marissa Steen, Karissa Kilby
12.52pm – Lauren Kim, Wenbo Liu, Lydia Hall
1.03pm – Bianca Pagdanganan, Maude-Aimee LeBlanc, Sara Im
1.14pm – Stephanie Meadow, Annabell Fuller, Bronte Law
1.25pm – Pauline Roussin, Paula Reto, Bailey Shoemaker
1.36pm – Michelle Wie West, Brittany Lang, Sung Hyun Park
1.47pm – Hae Ran Ryu, Yuna Nishimura, Amy Yang
1.58pm – Celine Boutier, Patty Tavatanakit, Sei Young Kim
2.09pm – Lizette Salas, Leona Maguire, Jeongeun Lee6
2.20pm – Na Rin An, Ayaka Furue, Charley Hull
2.31pm – Alexandra Forsterling, Yuri Onishi, Smilla Sonderby
2.42pm – Ilhee Lee, Karen Kim, Natsumi Hayakawa