She Overcomes 'Nelly Things' on Way to LPGA History

Nelly Korda wins record-tying fifth straight tournament, will go for solo record next week
By Newser Editors and Wire Services
Posted Apr 22, 2024 10:25 AM CDT
Updated Apr 22, 2024 10:51 AM CDT
She Overcomes 'Nelly Things' on Way to LPGA History
Nelly Korda jumps into the lake after winning the Chevron Championship LPGA golf tournament on Sunday at The Club at Carlton Woods in The Woodlands, Texas.   (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)

Nelly Korda couldn't have imagined the incredible run she's put together this season while at home recovering from a blood clot that required surgery in 2022. "Because obviously then I was just more scared for my health," she said. "But I think all of the sad times and the health scares that I have gone through have made me who I am today." Fully healthy now, Korda is seemingly unstoppable, per the AP. The world's No. 1 player hasn't lost a tournament since January, and now she's a two-time major champion:

  • Record books: The 25-year-old etched her name in the LPGA Tour record books on Sunday, winning her record-tying fifth straight tournament with a two-stroke victory in the Chevron Championship. Korda joins Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sorenstam (2004-05) as the only players to win five consecutive LPGA events. Her previous major victory was in 2021 at the Women's PGA Championship.

  • 'Nelly things': Golf.com profiles how Korda has come to dominate the game, and a big part is overcoming self-created mental obstacles she refers to as "Nelly things." As the story explains, the new system "is all about keeping things simple in the heat of competition: Don't overthink. Don't overstress. Stay in the moment. Let it flow." Read it here.
  • Strong lineage: The Athletic notes that Korda's father is former pro tennis player Petr Korda. Her sister, Jessica, 31, is a six-time LPGA champion, and her brother, Sebastian, 23, currently competes in tennis on the ATP Tour.
  • Payday: Korda took home $1.2 million from a purse of $7.9 million with her two-shot victory on Sunday, a significant increase from last year's purse of $5.2 million. That brings her season earnings to $2,424,216 and her career earnings to $11,361,489.
  • Next up: Korda plans to play in the JM Eagle LA Open next week at Wilshire Country Club, where she could become the first to win six LPGA starts in a row, reports Golf Digest.
(More LPGA stories.)

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