What Nelly Korda did as she won the 2021 Women’s PGA Championship that was totally out of character

Add as preferred source on Google

Nelly Korda continues her stunning career this week as she takes on The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican.

Korda enters the LPGA Tour event as the defending champion, having also lifted the trophy in both 2022 and 2021.

Last year’s win at The ANNIKA does, however, represent the most recent victory for 15-time LPGA Tour champion Korda.

Korda has struggled with injury this season, but will be looking to get back to winning ways in Florida this week.

Her latest title at The ANNIKA was her seventh of the 2024 season, in which she also claimed her second major championship win.

What Nelly Korda did at the 2021 Women’s PGA Championship that was totally out of character

Korda won the 2024 Chevron Championship, which arrived after her maiden major win at the 2021 Women’s PGA Championship.

The latter propelled her to number one in the world rankings, with Korda having been asked about the burden and expectations on her for some time given the lengthy absence of an American in that position.

She replied: “I didn’t really think about it too much. I mean, when you have a good team around you, they try to implement a mindset of just go out and play golf, have fun.

“I’ve told my caddie Jason [McDede] from day one, I was like, I’m the type of player that likes to take it shot by shot.

“Sometimes you get away from it, and he actually told me today, he’s like, you’re thinking 40 minutes ahead.

“He’s like, you told me when you hired me we’re taking it shot by shot. It’s very simple and people are like, oh, that’s boring, but it’s really important when you’re out there.”

READ MORE: PGA Tour caddie offers his verdict on whether a male scratch golfer could beat Nelly Korda

What was ‘crazy’ for Nelly Korda after she claimed her first major championship win

It was certainly out of character for Korda, but her long-time caddie will have had very few complaints following her superb success.

She was just 22 when she lifted her first major title, triumphing by three strokes at the Atlanta Athletic Club in Georgia.

Asked if becoming world number one as a major champion met or exceeded her expectations, the American replied: “Honestly, I don’t even know. I don’t even… the thing that’s crazy is I don’t even think about this stuff. I feel like I’m 30, in a sense.

“Like you have to grow up so fast being on Tour, traveling, managing everything yourself. I don’t even feel like a 22-year-old.

“I go into obviously every year wanting to succeed and wanting to reach my goals, and to finally check this off my list feels so nice, but there’s been so many major champions that… I mean, Patty [Tavatanakit], she won, how old was she, 21?

“So there’s been so many young major winners, so it’s finally nice to kind of check that off my list, too. I feel old in a sense, actually.”

Now 27 years old, the two-time major champion has fallen to second in the world rankings behind Jeeno Thitikul.

Her focus is now firmly on a strong week at Pelican Golf Club, where Donald Trump’s granddaughter Kai Trump is making her LPGA Tour debut.