CLIFTON, N.J. (AP) — Issues are going properly for Nelly Korda lately, that’s for positive.
The 25-year-old has received a record-tying 5 straight tournaments. She has the No. 1 rating on the earth, together with the 2024 lead in earnings, scoring common and factors for the participant of the yr award. And on prime of all of it, she acquired to reside out a childhood dream by strolling the purple carpet on the Met Gala earlier this week.
Korda will attempt to turn into the primary girl to win six consecutive LPGA begins when play within the 72-hole Cognizant Founders Cup will get underway Thursday on the Higher Montclair Nation Membership.
“If I’m being trustworthy, I’ve not considered it in any respect as a result of I’ve had a lot happening these two weeks,” mentioned Korda, who has not performed since successful The Chevron Championship in Texas. “Then clearly yesterday — or Monday — I had the Met, so haven’t had an excessive amount of time to consider it.”
In successful her second profession main two weeks in the past, Korda tied Corridor of Famers Annika Sorenstam (2004-05) and Nancy Lopez (1978) for many consecutive event wins. Byron Nelson holds golf’s all-time mark with 11 straight wins in 1945.
The normally reserved Korda insisted she will not be pondering that far forward, noting that may result in a deep rabbit gap.
Whereas she has been off the previous two weeks, Korda mentioned she by no means acquired distant from her sport, regardless of catching up on sleep and spending a variety of time on the sofa.
“There may be two sides to it,” she mentioned. “Clearly after I’m dwelling, I’m positively training much more and attempting to work on approach. After I’m out right here, the way in which I maintain it easy is by not overdoing it an excessive amount of. Going out, seeing the golf course, doing my work with my caddie, selecting a sport plan, after which that’s it.”
Previously, Korda mentioned she would come to occasions and do an excessive amount of. Now she is aware of she has put within the work beforehand, and it’s simply time to execute when an occasion begins.
The successful streak had an sudden profit this week when Korda acquired an invite to the Met Gala.
“It was so, so loopy,” she mentioned. “You’re standing in line able to get on the carpet and also you’re like seeing all these individuals you normally watch in TV reveals or motion pictures and so they’re like well-known singers and also you’re starstruck your entire time. It’s one of the best people-watching for me. I used to be simply silently taking a look at everybody’s clothes.”
Korda was given numerous Oscar de la Renta clothes to strive on, and seemingly settled on long-sleeve robe.
Twenty minutes earlier than strolling on the carpet, she had a golf second, like when the breeze picks up earlier than a shot to the inexperienced. The 9-iron turned a pitching wedge.
“I noticed this wonderful purple gown and I simply modified my complete look most likely 20 minutes earlier than I began to prepare,” Korda mentioned. “Switched it up on everybody. It’s simply, I imply, that is me. That is me, visor on, sporting golf garments. That is my consolation zone. It was actually, actually neat to step exterior of my consolation zone and do one thing like that.”
It was neat although, and like every thing Korda has carried out on the golf course, it was an ideal selection.
“I assumed I might by no means ever suppose that I might ever have the ability to attend the Met Gala,” Korda mentioned. “As a lady I watched it rising up and simply in awe of all of the clothes. To be on the purple carpet or inexperienced carpet was a dream come true.”
Korda has not fared properly taking part in in New Jersey. She missed the lower on this occasion and the Girls’s PGA Championship at Baltusrol in 2023. The Florida resident might be paired for the primary two rounds with defending champion Jin Younger Ko of South Korea and 2022 champion Minjee Lee of Australia. Lee misplaced in a playoff with Ko final yr.
Corridor of Famers Pat Bradley and Beth Daniel, who’re right here for the occasion that honors the 13 founding members of the LPGA Tour, really feel the stress is on Korda.
“I’m positive she will’t anticipate the bell to ring and get inside these ropes and have the ability to focus like she does,” Bradley mentioned.
“I watched when she received the fifth in a row and she or he mentioned that was probably the most nervous she’s been down the stretch,” Daniel mentioned. “I can solely think about how nerve-wracking this week goes to be.”
___
AP golf:
window.fbAsyncInit = function() {
FB.init({
appId : ‘870613919693099’,
xfbml : true,
version : ‘v2.9’
});
};
(function(d, s, id){
var js, fjs = d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];
if (d.getElementById(id)) {return;}
js = d.createElement(s); js.id = id;
js.src = ”
fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js, fjs);
}(document, ‘script’, ‘facebook-jssdk’));