Korda Dominates The Chevron Championship, Finding Freedom After Frustrating Season
Nelly Korda captured The Chevron Championship with a dominant five-shot victory at Memorial Park, displaying a level of control not seen in an LPGA major in 35 years.
After a “super frustrating” 2023 season where she didn’t win despite strong statistics, Korda has rediscovered her form. She’s now back at world No. 1 and has already claimed two titles this year.
“I would come into a room like this and everyone would be like, ‘Your stats are great, better than last year, but you have zero trophies under your name this year,'” Korda said. “I’m like, ‘I see that, yes.’ It wears on you because that’s what you’re working for.”
That frustration led to overthinking that paralyzed her game. “I told myself I don’t ever want to feel like that on a golf course,” she admitted.
At The Chevron, Korda looked completely different – free and powerful with one of the most athletic swings in golf. She led for the final 57 holes of the tournament. Not since Amy Alcott at the 1991 Nabisco Dinah Shore has a player led by two shots or more after each round at a major.
The 27-year-old American has brought a new mental approach this season, drawing lessons from her challenging 2023.
“I would say the only thing that’s similar is when you get into a zone like this you’re kind of in your own little bubble,” she explained. “And that’s what I was feeling in 2021. But as for the way that I am mentally in 2021 versus what I am mentally right now, they’re almost two different people.”
The lesson I learned on Saturday is that I started thinking like last year a little bit where I started overanalyzing. And I kind of popped my bubble myself. I needed to get back into that bubble.
That bubble was briefly threatened during the final round when she played ultra-conservative with her five-shot lead. After missing a 6-footer and seeing her lead shrink to four with six holes remaining, doubts crept in.
She recalls telling her caddie: “I don’t want to feel like I felt on Saturday. I want to go out and play golf.” Instead of playing it safe on the 13th, she fired directly at the pin, leaving herself a tap-in birdie. Back in the bubble.
What’s striking about Korda’s approach is how similar it sounds to Scottie Scheffler’s philosophy on the PGA Tour. She’s focused on the process – putting in time on the course and in the gym – rather than chasing specific achievements.
While she made a big splash with her victory cannonball into the makeshift pool in Houston, Korda’s actual approach is all about small steps. She’s already back to work at Mayakoba for this week’s Mexico Riviera Maya Open, where she’s the only top-10 player in the field.
After winning seven times in 2021 – the most on the LPGA Tour in 17 years – and then going winless in 2023 despite similar statistics, Korda has found something more valuable than just victories: freedom from the mental traps that held her back.
A bubble, it turns out, doesn’t leave room for much else. And right now, that’s exactly where Korda wants to be.
