1 day Ago
Nelly Korda takes a selfie with the trophy after winning the 2024 T-Mobile Match Play at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas. | Photo by Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images World No. 1 Nelly Korda returns to Las Vegas this week, where she won her fourth event of 2024.
At this point last year, Nelly Korda had already won three tournaments and quickly became the best player in the world.The comparisons to Scottie Scheffler were palpable too, especially since Scheffler won the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players in March and then finished runner-up to Stephan Jaeger at the Texas Children’s Houston Open two weeks later. Funny enough, Scheffler’s close call in Houston came on the same Sunday as Korda’s win at the Ford Championship in Arizona.
Seeing both Korda and Scheffler at the top of the leaderboards became routine. This year is a different story, however.Neither Korda nor Scheffler has yet to win, although both players have recorded runner-up finishes.
Korda came close to chasing down A Lim Kim in Orlando at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in January. But she finished two shots short. Korda tied for seventh at the Founders Cup the following week and then took six weeks off.
She returned this past week, tying for 22nd at the Ford Championship. Korda got off to a roaring start, but a 1-over 73 on Saturday kept her at bay. But as she always does, no matter if she is on top of the world or fighting through a kink in her swing, Korda kept it real last week in Arizona.
“Golf is just a really funny game. I mean, you can never kind of be comfortable,” Korda said.“You just have to constantly practice, try to improve in every aspect of it.
One day your chipping is great; next day it’s the weakest part of your game, and vice versa with putting and whatnot. You’re always trying to dial it in.”That same mantra applies to us amateurs, too.
“That’s the funny thing about this game and also like the greatest thing about this game, is no one is ever going to be an expert and no one is ever going to have it actually figured out,” Korda added.“You think you have it figured out, and then you go out and play another golf course, and you’re like, I really don’t have it figured out. It just humbles you in a way and also continuously motivates you.
”This perspective is what makes Korda so likable. She is even-keeled, but also relatable. Perhaps even more importantly, she’s humble.
“Last year was such an amazing year, but that was my eighth year on Tour. I also had seven years that were not that amazing,” Korda said.“They were good but they weren’t as amazing as last year.
I just try to keep that in perspective. Every year is a new year. The most important thing I can control is the work that I put in and the attitude that I have.
”Jack Milko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko..
