Last week, world No. 1 Nelly Korda celebrated her two major titles of the year with a press tour in New York City. And while it’s back to business at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in Chaska, Minnesota, this week, she’s taking time to reflect on her Big Apple adventure, from Times Square to the TODAY show.
“I was having a lot of fun in New York,” Korda said Wednesday at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championshp. “It’s fun to be on a different stage in front of different people doing something that helps the game of golf and kind of puts us on a broader stage.”
The stage just continues to grow larger and shine brighter for Korda, who has put together a historic season so far: four LPGA Tour wins, including two majors; three runner-up finishes and only one finish outside of the top 10. And, with this kind of momentum from the 27-year-old, it’s hard not to feel like she’s just getting started, despite being admittedly tired from all the winning and the fanfare that goes along with it.
Part of that journey has not only been staying in the moment on the course from shot to shot, but has also been about coming out of her typically reserved and stoic shell, as her stardom continues to skyrocket inside and outside of the golf world.
“I also want to show everyone my personality,” Korda explained. “Like I do laugh and I’m a little bit of a dork. On the golf course I am really serious obviously, but it has been fun especially with the platform that I have to kind of share my personality a little bit more.”
Aside from unveiling more of her persona, Korda has a chance this weekend to write her name on even more pages of the history books, as she goes for her third-straight major victory at the KPMG Women’s PGA. She would become just the third woman in history to accomplish the three-peat feat, but she’s not letting the pressure get to her.
“No matter what happens, I’ve just told myself if I am lifting the trophy, like that is obviously the main goal at the end the week. But I’m going to prepare or focus on my preparation and know that I’m 100% confident in it and lean on that,” Korda said.
Korda last won the Women’s PGA in 2021 on the Highlands Course at the Atlanta Athletic Club. Now, she’s looking to continue her red-hot winning season and take home the major trophy and the largest purse in women’s golf history at Hazeltine National Golf Club, where she last played the 2019 KPMG.
“It is premium as it is on every major to hit the fairways, and they’re not the widest and this is a very much so a placement golf course on the fairway and on the greens, so hopefully, yeah, every part of my game is in tip-top shape,” Korda said ahead of her opening round.
A win on Sunday at Hazeltine would most certainly mean there would be more victory tours in the near future for Korda, who would not only own three consecutive major titles, but also a spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame. She’s just two points away from qualifying, which would be accomplished with a major victory, but she admittedly doesn’t know the number needed (27) or where she currently stands.
“Would be an absolute amazing accomplishment to be alongside some of the best that have ever played in this game on the LPGA Tour,” Korda remarked. “But if it’s a motivating factor to me and I’m like thinking about it, not necessarily. I just enjoy playing golf and I enjoy being in the hunt in tournaments.”
Next on the potential winning docket after KPMG, is a shot at the career Grand Slam for Korda. If she wins either the Amundi Evian Championship or the AIG Women’s Open later this summer, she’ll complete the extraordinary feat.
But for now, she’s locked in on this moment.
“I always say good golf kind of solves everything,” she stated, “and that’s my main focus, is just trying to play consistent good golf.”
