THE WOODLANDS, Texas — A cannonball. That was how Nelly Korda celebrated her historic victory on Sunday at The Chevron Championship.
A well-executed leap into the lake on the left side of the 18th green at The Club at Carlton Woods after a hard-fought major test. A battle that saw her name permanently enshrined in greatness alongside some of the game’s most memorable legends who’ve hoisted the Dinah Shore Trophy.
It wasn’t an easy journey for Korda, who has dealt with injuries and setbacks and doubts since she won her first major title at the 2021 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. But it’s a road that she’s thankful she had to take because it led her to this moment in The Woodlands, Texas.
“In '21 I had an amazing year, got my first major at KPMG. Just a lot of doubt crept into my mind in 2022 and especially 2023,” said Korda. “I heard some outside voices from other people saying that they don't know if I'll ever be able to win another major again, and I stuck to working extremely hard on and off the golf course.
“I think of all the sad times and the health scares that I have gone through have made me who I am today. I think it has matured me a lot, and I would say it's shaped me into the person I am today, and I'm very grateful for the ups and downs.”
The ups were highs, like winning a gold medal at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics and ascending to No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. The lows saw her sidelined for months with a blood clot in her left arm and with back injuries that just wouldn’t stop hurting no matter her recovery efforts.
But Korda, always resilient and ever the competitor, clawed her way back , and fought her way forward to some of the greatest successes of her career, making what she’s done in 2024 that much more significant.
This fifth consecutive victory puts Korda’s name next to the likes of some of the most revered generational talents in the LPGA Tour record books, joining Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez as the only other player since 1978 to win five straight titles.
It’s a place in history that she’s more than earned after this recent tear of excellent golf she’s put together. But it also has put Korda at the forefront of the conversation about the state of American golf right now, as few – male or female – have ever accomplished what she has in the last couple of months, at least not in this modern era.
“It's trending in the right direction, not just American golf but women's golf in general,” said Korda. “I think you see the past couple of major winners, Allisen (Corpuz) won at the U.S. Open and Lilia (Vu) won here last year. I think we're just performing really well, and I think that's everyone on Tour, honestly.
“It's so hard to win out here, and I say that with all honesty that it is really, really hard to win out here. The competition is getting harder and harder every year.”
But Korda has figured out a way to do it and gives a ton of credit to her team for her success, not just since the end of January, but throughout her entire 13-victory career.
“I'm so thankful to have the team that I do. They've gone through all the highs and lows with me, especially Jason (McDede, her caddie),” Korda said. “He has been by my side for every single one of my wins out here, and in a sense he's my punching bag out there, he's my best friend, and he's my teammate. I wouldn't be able to do it without him because his encouragement on and off the golf course has been amazing, and I'm just so, so, so thankful for him. I hope he knows it.”
After all of her wins, Korda has continually talked about staying in what she refers to as her “bubble,” refusing to look forward or back at her success too closely and instead choosing to be where her feet are – focusing on the next challenge, task or shot at hand. It’s a mentality that has clearly made a huge difference for the 25-year-old and a zone she’ll now be working to find every time she tees it up on the LPGA Tour.
But it seems like this time, Korda might finally let herself take a breath and enjoy the sweetness of triumph, particularly now that the biggest challenge – winning her fifth straight title at a major championship – has been conquered.
A proper celebration with her team is on deck as well, no offense to the In-N-Out Burgers, Five Guys fries or almond croissants she’s had over the last few weeks, of course.
“It's an amazing feeling because all the hard work and the doubt that I had in my head from 2021, I worked through it,” said Korda. “It's been an amazing feeling these past couple weeks knowing that I can go on this stretch and that if I stay in my bubble and I keep golf simple and let it flow, then I can have so, so much fun out here.
“It's just been an amazing time. To get five in a row, and my lucky number is 13, and for me to get it here in Houston and it to be a major, feels even better.”
And after all the fans go home and the robe gets hung up and she crawls in her hotel bed tonight, Korda might just finally realize the magnitude of what she’s accomplished.
The best news though? It’s only April, and it already feels like there’s more Korda success to come in 2024.
