Like Scottie Scheffler on the PGA Tour, Nelly Korda has an incredibly tough act to follow in 2025 after she managed to win seven times on the LPGA Tour in 2024.
Nelly Korda was unquestionably the standout player on the LPGA Tour this past year. The world number one started the season in unbelievable fashion, as she won six times in her first seven appearances. That included her second major victory at the Chevron Championship.
Interestingly, just when it appeared that the likes of Lydia Ko and Jeeno Thitikul were closing the gap, Korda produced a masterclass on the back nine during the final round of The ANNIKA to secure her seventh victory of the year. She was also absolutely imperious over the first two days at the Solheim Cup.
It seems odd to say but Korda still has plenty to prove, with quite the gap between her best performances and some of her worst. She also missed the cut at two of the five majors across the year.
The ‘unreal’ skill Nelly Korda has
Nevertheless, she is the player to beat heading into 2025. And speaking to Golf Monthly, Sky Sports pundit Sophie Walker explained what she believes to be Korda’s biggest strength.
“To watch her in person, the most impressive aspect of her game is her ball flight. She’s the best 3-wood player that I’ve seen in the women’s game. That club is really hard to pick off the fairway and she is just able to flight it so well, it’s just unreal,” she said.
“A little bit like Charley Hull, if the courses were set up longer and harder, she would win even more.”
The players to rival Korda on the LPGA Tour in 2025
It would not be a surprise to see Korda win a number of times in 2025. But the LPGA boasts a serious amount of depth, which could make her year extremely challenging.
Ko had a phenomenal second-half of the season as she won The Women’s Open and the Olympic gold medal. Meanwhile, Thitikul’s victory at the CME Group Tour Championship was a real statement of intent, particularly as she edged the Sunday duel with Angel Yin.
Thitikul looks to be the biggest threat to Korda. The 21-year-old will surely be a major winner before too long. And Thitikul actually outshone Korda in a number of areas throughout the 2024 season.
So it is going to be fascinating to see whether Korda holds onto her spot at the summit of the game.
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