Nelly Korda never imagined the amazing streak she’s having now when she was at home recovering from a blood clot that required surgery in 2022.
“At that time, my main concern was my health,” she said. “Competing wasn’t even on my mind. But looking back, all those tough times and health scares have shaped who I am today.”
Now fully recovered, Korda seems unbeatable. The world’s No. 1 player hasn’t lost a tournament since January, and she’s now won her second major title.
On Sunday, Korda made history on the LPGA Tour by winning her fifth consecutive tournament, tying the record set by Nancy Lopez in 1978 and Annika Sorenstam in 2004-2005. Her previous major win was at the Women’s PGA Championship in 2021.
“It’s been incredible these past few weeks, knowing that I can go on this streak,” she said. “If I stay focused and keep my game simple, I can enjoy myself out here.”
Korda finished with a 3-under 69 in the final round to hold off Maja Stark of Sweden, who birdied her final two holes to shoot 69 and come within one stroke. Korda stayed aggressive on the par-5 18th, easily clearing the lake and setting up a simple birdie for a two-shot victory.
Her total score over four days was 13-under 275 at Carlton Woods. Korda almost had a hole-in-one on the par-3 17th, with her tee shot hitting the hole and bouncing up before landing within 10 feet. She settled for par to maintain her lead.
Korda impressed the large crowd following her all day by making a birdie on the tricky par-4 10th hole, chipping into the wind to extend her lead to four strokes. The 25-year-old raised her club triumphantly after the ball found the hole.
Her parents, former Australian Open tennis champion Petr Korda and Regina Rajchrtova, looked proud as she accepted the trophy.
“She faced challenges in ’22 and ’23,” Petr Korda said. “She didn’t win a tournament in ’23, and those experiences probably humbled her and made her work hard to get where she is now. Without that dedication, she wouldn’t be here. So seeing her succeed makes me very happy.”
Korda’s older sister, Jessica, a six-time LPGA winner, is currently on a break from golf after having her first child.
Korda earned $1.2 million from the $7.9 million prize money, a significant increase from last year’s $5.2 million. This brings her total earnings for the season to $2,424,216 and her career earnings to $11,361,489.
Jumping into Poppie’s Pond off the 18th green at Mission Hills has been a tradition since 1988, and Korda became the second player to do it in Texas by cannonballing off a small dock into the water.
Lilia Vu, ranked No. 2 in the world, was the first to jump into the pond here after winning last season. However, Vu withdrew from this year’s tournament before the first round due to “severe discomfort” in her back during warmups.
Despite shivering from her post-win plunge on Sunday, Korda confirmed she would be participating in the JM Eagle LA Championship next week in Los Angeles.
When asked about the possibility of winning a record six straight LPGA tournaments, she said, “I’m going to enjoy this moment now and then I’ll think about that. But yeah, it’s been an incredible time. Hopefully, I can keep the streak going. But I’ve been so thankful to compete week in and week out and to win five in a row.”
Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, who was on a hot streak with three wins in five starts, had his momentum halted by rain during the final round of the RBC Heritage. Despite the delay, he made sure to keep tabs on Korda’s progress.
“I was actually checking the scores this afternoon when we were in the rain delay,” he said. “I’m extremely happy for her and proud of her. That’s some pretty special stuff. It’s been a treat to watch.”
Korda started the last round just one shot behind the leader after finishing the remaining seven holes of the third round early Sunday morning, facing windy and cool conditions.
After her big win, she felt exhausted, as she had been up since 4 a.m. to prepare for the end of the third round.
Korda made two birdies in her first four holes to take the lead. Lauren Coughlin closed in with birdies on the 13th and 14th holes, but bogeys on the 16th and 17th holes put her four strokes behind.
She finished the final round with a 68, tying for third place with Brooke Henderson.
Reflecting on her performance in a major, Coughlin became emotional, saying, “It’s cool to see all the work that I’ve put in, especially with my putting and my short game, and putting specifically showed off this week, as well.”
Henderson was tied with Korda for second place at the start of the final round after shooting a 64 in the third round, setting a scoring record for the tournament since its relocation from Mission Hills, California, to Texas last year.
However, Henderson, who has 13 LPGA wins including two majors, struggled early in the final round with a bogey and a double bogey in the first four holes.
Haeran Ryu from South Korea scored a bogey-free 67 in the last round, putting her ahead of Korda by one. However, the 2023 Rookie of the Year had a rough start in the final round, bogeying the first two holes. She finished with a 74 and landed in fifth place.
An unexpected moment occurred on the 18th hole when eighteen-year-old amateur Jasmine Koo’s second shot rebounded off the advertising board in the water and returned into play. She managed to make a birdie, finishing the hole with a score of 71.
