Nelly Korda has done it again.
On the strength of a back-nine 33 Sunday at Liberty National, Korda is a champion once again. This time, her name was engraved on the trophy at the Mizuho Americas Open.
“It’s a lot of fun,” Korda said. “For me it’s more rewarding that all the hard work that I’ve put in, all the rollercoaster that I went through from the end of 2021 with my injuries to this year is just super-rewarding.”
The win extends an absurdly dominant run for Korda, who has now won in six times in her last seven starts. Korda’s lone “blemish” during that stretch came last week at nearby Upper Montclair Country Club, in northern New Jersey, where she tied for seventh.
While Korda has been an overpowering force during her run, she did not have her best stuff Sunday in the final pairing. Korda made three bogeys and just one birdie on the front nine during the final round as her playing partner, Hannah Green, posted even par. As the duo made the turn back toward the clubhouse, Korda and Green were tied atop the leaderboard.
“Not a good start to the day,” Korda said. “Just couldn’t get anything going, and Jay [her caddie, Jason McDede] actually told me to pretty much get my head out of my um and to reset and to start fresh.”
That pep talk worked. On the opening hole of the back nine, the gettable par-5 10th, Korda made birdie. But with Green also making a 4, the two remained tied for the lead.
That theme continued throughout the back nine, with Green and Korda matching each other’s scores on holes 10-17, each of them refusing to cede ground.
“I felt like when one of us hit it really close or could take advantage of something on the back nine, the other hit it close too and made the putt,” Korda said. “It was just a battle until the 18th hole. You had to stay really patient out there and trust your game and that you’re going to hit good shots.”
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But, just as she has been doing all season, Korda found a way to win. After Green’s drive found trouble leading to bogey on the par-4 closer, Korda needed just to make par to secure the victory.
“There is something special about the grind of not having your best stuff and then still mentally being able to pull it off,” Korda said. “I just think that there is no greater thing than to battle it out when you don’t have your best stuff.”
The world No. 1 has now won in 75 percent of her starts in 2024, with six wins in eight starts. With the win, she also joins Hall of Famers Babe Zaharias, Louise Suggs and Lorena Ochoa as the only women to win six times on the LPGA Tour before June 1.
Korda’s next start will be in two weeks at the U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster (Pa.) Country Club — an event she desperately wants to win.
“Obviously, it’s on the top of my priority list,” she said. “I just know there is never any good when you put more pressure on yourself. Just going to stay in my bubble that week and take it a shot at a time.”
That strategy has paid off so far this year. And if Korda can execute it again at the U.S. Women’s Open, we’ll likely be talking about her seventh win in eight events.