Few would have imagined that Nelly Korda would reach the third major of the year still awaiting her first win of the season following her remarkable 2024.
It has been a strange year for Nelly Korda. The world number one is the only player inside the top eight of the Race to CME Globe without a win on the LPGA Tour this season.
Of course, there were high hopes for the 26-year-old this year. She won seven times throughout the 2024 season; going on a run of six wins in seven in the first-half of the year. That included her second major victory at the Chevron Championship.
Korda did have a couple more forgettable weeks, including missed cuts at the US Women’s Open and the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.
Mel Reid assesses Nelly Korda’s chances at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship
By contrast, Korda has not had any missed cuts this year. But she is also awaiting her first win.
However, following her second place finish at Erin Hills in the recent US Women’s Open, Mel Reid has told 5 Clubs that she has spotted some incredibly positive signs ahead of this week’s Women’s PGA Championship.
“Nelly’s been playing great. She’s got the best stroke average on tour, just over 69. She’s one I think in strokes gained off the tee, she’s two strokes gained approach. Obviously, it’s Nelly Korda, she’s got all the ingredients, but she does have all the ingredients this year, similar to last year, she’s just not winning,” she said.
“It’s getting harder to win out here, and I think it also just goes to show what an unbelievable year she had last year, winning seven times. I’ve always been concerned at major championships, I feel like sometimes she can’t stop the bad play. So when she gets on a bad roll, it’s a bit of a mudslide. She proved to me that she has got more control of that at the US Women’s Open, that’s the one event that she wants to win. I can guarantee you that, being an American that’s the one that you want to win. On the third round, she went out in four over and I thought, oh here we go again. But no, she came back three under the last three holes, ended up finishing tied second, and to me, that was a huge moment for Nelly.
“I think she’s in a really good headspace, I feel like her team is tighter than ever. Jess is here this week as well, her sister, so that’s always a great sign for me because I feel like Jess has such a powerful impact on her in a positive way. I think Nelly’s the one to watch this week, I really do.”
How Nelly Korda has performed at the Women’s PGA Championship during her career
Korda has a mixed record in the Women’s PGA Championship across her career. She did win her first major title at the event back in 2021 at Atlanta Athletic Club.
She also finished third two years earlier. However, she withdrew from the 2020 event due to injury.
Korda has now missed her last two cuts at the Women’s PGA Championship. So she arrives with something of a point to prove this week.
But clearly, if she can find her best form in the coming days, it would be no surprise to see her win her third major title imminently.
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