Nelly Korda attempts a record fifth straight LPGA win after opening with a 68 at the 2024 Chevron Championship
Nelly Korda is trying to make history at the first women’s major of the year, the 2024 Chevron Championship. Korda, who stunned by winning four consecutive tournaments on the LPGA Tour, opened with a 2-under 68 on Thursday in an attempt to match the all-time streak of five consecutive wins set by Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sorenstam (2004). -05).
If Korda wins her fifth straight, she will also win the second major championship of her career – her first since the 2021 Women’s PGA Championship. Although she was close since that win with seven top 20s in 12 major tournament appearances, she still hasn’t broken through.
Korda’s 68 was just one player behind — Lauren Coughlin, who shot 66 — after the first round. She sits in T2 with Marina Alex and Minami Katsu.
“Definitely a little more tired today,” Korda said. “I think in those three weeks, I didn’t think it would exhaust me as much as it could mentally. I was dead when I got home. I didn’t even leave the house for the first two days, which it was great because I was exposed to naps [my son] Greyson, it’s so wholesome and so wonderful.
“I definitely still felt a little tired, so it took me a while to get going. I felt really nervous at the start of the round. When it came to my turn, I was just playing free golf.”
Those three weeks mentioned the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship, the Ford Championship and the T-Mobile Match Play Tournament throughout March and April, all of which were won. Participated in the LPGA Drive on Championship earlier this year and she hasn’t lost to another professional golfer since mid-January.
However, the majors are a different beast and a fifth win in a row won’t be as difficult as winning any great. In fact, Korda encountered a tougher wave on Thursday and her task looks monumental.
“I know in a sense, the draw is always a matter of luck,” she said. “But I’ve had my fair share of being late early, late early, and you just have to make the most of it. You can’t really get too caught up in that, like, ‘Oh, I’m present. the draw is worse or I have a better draw front.’ You just have to go out there and perform.”
That’s all Korda has been doing lately: performing.
Superstardom is often assumed but rarely realized. Meeting expectations is one of the most difficult successes in sports. Korda has struggled with that throughout her career but appears to be entering another level of competition as the 25-year-old now holds 12 wins to her name after this hot fight.
Korda and Scottie Scheffler (who has won three of the last four tournaments, including a major) were compared. Korda noted that she is trying her best to learn from her failures and stay present in her successes. That’s what we heard from her colleagues who also dominated the men’s side.
“In 2021, I started jogging,” she said recently. And then in 2022 and 2023, golf really humbled me.” “I think that’s sport, there are ups and downs. Every athlete goes through rollercoasters and that’s what makes this sport great. You grow, mature a lot and learn more about yourself.
“You never take these weeks for granted. You always try to appreciate them and become very grateful for them. That makes all the hard work worthwhile. But I think I learned a lot many things about yourself even after losses.”
