What a difference a year makes. At this time last year American, and current world No. 1, Nelly Korda was struggling to find her game, even missing the cut at last year's Cognizant Founders Cup.
The younger sister of Jesica Korda, Nelly's rookie season was 2017, however, the younger Korda would really make a name for herself in 2021. That year, Korda burst onto the golf scene winning four tournaments including her first major at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, a gold medal at the Tokyo Olympics, and even reaching the number one spot in the world rankings.
However, a blood clot in her arm in 2022, and back pain issues through 2023, led to rather up and down seasons those years with Korda securing one tournament victory in 2022 and none in 2023.
2024 has been a different story for Korda, though, as she has won her last five consecutive starts tying her with LPGA greats Nancy Lopez and Annika Sorenstam for most consecutive starts won on the LPGA Tour.
Korda's current streak of five, and possibly six, straight wins began back in January, in the second week of the 2024 LPGA season at the LPGA Drive On Championship in her hometown of Bradenton, Fla. In rather thrilling fashion, Korda finished eagle, birdie to force a playoff with Lydia Ko and would then make par on the second playoff hole to secure the victory. Of note, Ko had won the tournament the previous week, while Korda finished tied for 16th, Korda's only non-first place finish at a tournament so far this year.
Nelly Korda missed the cut during the 2023 Founders Cup, but will be looking to change her fortunes this year as she goes for her sixth win in as many starts. (JSN file photo by Christopher Shannon)
After the exciting win in Bradenton, Korda took the next three tournaments off, returning to action at the FIR HILLS SERI PAK Championship, where she needed another playoff, this time with Ryann O'Toole, to secure her second win in a row. After that win Korda proceeded to come from behind at the inaugural Ford Championship to win by two strokes, then followed that up with a win in Las Vegas at the T-Mobile Match Play Presented by MGM Rewards.
After Vegas, Korda cannonballed into the pond by the 18th green at the Club at Carlton Woods, in Woodands, Texas, and into history, becoming only the third player in LPGA history to win five straight starts, after topping the field at the first major of the LPGA season, the Chevron Championship, three weeks ago.
With a potential sixth win in six starts in sight, Korda can make history this week if she were to be victorious at the Cognizant Founders Cup at Upper Montclair Country Club in Clifton.
However, accomplishing that feat will be no easy task, as just winning back-to-back tournaments is an accomplishment in and of itself on the LPGA Tour. Although Korda has proven herself tough to beat this year, her streak is more the exception, than the norm, as parody is generally common in the LPGA, and Korda will, once again, be going up against an elite field in Clifton.
That field includes eight of the top-10 golfers in the Rolex World Rankings. Those players include Lydia Ko, who is one win shy of becoming eligible for the LPGA Hall of Fame and, as noted earlier, is the only golfer to win a tournament that Korda has participated in this year, Jin Young Ko the defending, and three-time, Founders Cup champion, and LPGA record holder for most weeks spent at No.1, Hannah Green, who has two wins herself this season, Minjee Lee, the 2022 Founders Cup champion, and Celine Boutier, the current world No.3 and winner of two consecutive tournaments in 2023.
With missed cuts at the Founders and the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Baltusrol last year, Korda acknowledges that her record in New Jersey has not been the best. However, she said that her strategy to winning her sixth tournament in a row remains the same as it has throughout her streak.
One thing that Korda says that she has been trying to do during her run is to keep golf simple.
"Well, there is two sides to it," Korda says about how she tries to simplify golf. "Obviously when I'm home I'm definitely practicing a lot more and trying to work on technique. When I'm out here, the way I keep it simple is by not overdoing it too much. Going out, seeing the golf course, doing my work with my caddie, picking a game plan, and then that's it."
Korda added, "I think in the past I've got too caught up in coming out here and thinking I need to do a little extra when I've already done my work going into this event, and it's time to just see my shots and execute them. That's how I've tried to simplify it."
Beyond simplifying the game, Korda says that she has been taking tournaments on shot at a time saying, "I'm really just trying to keep it one shot at a time and see how it goes.'' She later reiterated that approach by adding, "So, just not getting too ahead of myself and taking it a shot at a time. As boring as it sounds, or as many times as you guys are going to hear me say it, that is the motto and I'm going to stick to it."
Korda also acknowledged her caddie, Jason McDede, for his part during her historic run. She acknowledged that during the Chevron Championship, he played a large part in helping to keep her in the moment, and not thinking too far ahead, or about missed shots.
"Yeah, I mean, I would say that I'm so grateful for Jason," Korda said of her caddie during the final holes at the Chevron. "After I hit it into the water coming down the stretch he gave me a pep talk. He made sure that I stayed really in the moment, that I was taking it shot by shot. Having a teammate like him just makes me really, really grateful for him."
Korda begins her quest for her sixth win in a row Thursday when she tees off at 7:59 a.m. at the Upper Montclair Country Club. Tickets for the Founders Cup can be found at www.thefounderslpga.com/ticket-information. Juniors 17 and under receive free admission with a paying adult, and both current, and former, members of the U.S. Military and their accompanying spouse, partner, or dependent also receive free general admission tickets.
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