World number one Nelly Korda will be aiming for a record fifth consecutive LPGA victory when the Chevron Championship, the first women’s major of the year, gets underway in Texas on Thursday.
The American, who extended her winning streak to four tournaments when she won the LPGA Match Play in Las Vegas earlier this month, has the chance to equal the five-tournament record set by Nancy Lopez in 1978 and Annika Sorenstam in 2005. “I’m so in the present that I don’t let myself think about it (the streak) too much. I feel like it just adds a little bit of pressure,” she said.
The 25-year-old is focused solely on the task at hand at The Club at Carlton Woods in the Woodlands, Houston: winning a second major after her triumph at the 2021 Women’s PGA Championship. Korda ended 2023 with a loss at the Solheim Cup to Carlota Ciganda, but 2024 could be the year she breaks the record for most consecutive victories.
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Two weeks ago, Ireland’s Leona Maguire experienced Nelly Korda’s form first-hand when she was beaten 4&3 by the American in the final of the LPGA Match Play tournament. “Obviously Nelly is the best player in the world right now, probably male or female. She plays incredible golf. At the end of the day you know you’ve got to make birdies if you’re going to beat her,” said Maguire.
All eyes will be on Korda at the Chevron Championship as her impressive run of form has caught the attention of the LPGA community. Lilia Vu, the defending champion, compared Korda’s impact to that of Caitlin Clark in college basketball.
“She brings so much to the table, just win after win, just putting it all together, doing such a good job, being so well-liked and loved out here. She brings a huge following with her and is a great person. She’s kind of our Caitlin Clark out here,” Vu said. Korda is happy to see her serving as an inspiration to a new generation of young golfers: “There’s no better feeling than that. Hopefully I can inspire the next generation with the love I have for the game and hopefully they have it too,” she said.
