It’s not even April yet, but the results already support this assertion: 2024 is shaping up to be the year of Nelly Korda.
The 25-year-old world number one made LPGA history at the inaugural Ford Championship on Sunday in Gilbert, Arizona, with a come-from-behind victory for her third straight victory on tour this season.
Korda is the first to complete a hat-trick since Ariya Kutanugarn in 2016 and the first American since Nancy Lopez won five consecutive tournaments in 1978.
In unusually rainy and cold desert conditions, Korda came within two strokes of third-round leader Hannah Green with a flawless scorecard. She shot a 7-under 65 at Seville Golf and Country Club, the second-lowest round of the day. She was 20-under for the tournament, two shots ahead of Hira Naveed. Five contenders, including Lexi Thompson, were at 17 under.
Playing in the penultimate tee time, Korda’s balanced play decided the tournament well before her competitors finished their rounds. Enjoying a cup of soup to warm up, the Olympic gold medalist sat in the clubhouse waiting alongside friends and family for the historic result to become official.
“I think it was definitely one of my least stressful wins,” Korda said.
That’s putting things lightly. Korda’s previous two victories were thrillers. Nine weeks ago, at home in Bradenton, Fla., Korda battled with Lydia Ko. After forcing a sudden-death game with an eagle-birdie in regulation, Korda outlasted the LPGA veteran in the two-hole playoff to win the LPGA Drive on Championship. Korda’s older sister, Jessica, a six-time winner on tour herself and then nearly nine months pregnant, joked that her younger sister’s clutch performance almost sent her into labor. It was Korda’s first victory since the 2022 Pelican.
Players who have been doing it since 2000 and the victories they have achieved this season –
’00 Karrie Webb (7)
’05 Annika Sorenstam (10)
’08 Lorena Ochoa (7)
’24 Nelly Korda (?)– Justin Ray (@JustinRayGolf) April 1, 2024
Then, after a seven-week hiatus from competition during which Korda fine-tuned her fitness and visited family in Prague, she returned to the winner’s circle in Los Angeles at the Seri Pak Championship on March 24. Korda once again rallied from behind, defeating UCLA product Ryann O’Toole in a sudden-death holeshot playoff.
After birdieing the final hole Sunday, there were no impending heart rate spikes. All Korda could do was smile.
The start of Korda’s 2024 season comes after two difficult years on the course. She struggled from time to time with injuries and ailments, including a blood clot in her arm, and never seemed completely comfortable competing, even when she had strong results. This year things seem different.
“I’m really having fun out there,” Korda said. “I mean, I love golf. I have always loved golf. Sometimes it’s harder than other days.
Sunday was not one of them. Korda’s win at the Ford Championship solidified her status as world No. 1 and only further cemented her name in the LPGA history books. On the next disc.
(Top photo by Nelly Korda: Christian Petersen/Getty Images)