Nelly Korda completely dominated the women's golf scene in 2024, claiming seven victories on the LPGA Tour. But last year she failed to win even a single title. She also lost her world No. 1 ranking to Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand.
An ordinary player might have slipped into a slump. But Korda returned to her old self in emphatic fashion on Sunday at the LPGA Tour's Chevron Championship, held at Memorial Park Golf Course (par 72) in Houston, Texas, winning her third major title. She has posted results of "win-runner-up-runner-up-runner-up-win" across five events this season.
What is the secret behind Korda's return, stronger than ever, after a year-long slump? The answer can be found in her exclusive interview with the May issue of Britain's Golf Monthly. "Bounces, how other players play, and the weather — those are things I can't control," Korda said. "What I can control is my attitude, my diligence in approaching my play, and the passion within me."
Her positive attitude of accepting ups and downs in performance as a natural part of life also played a role. "Throughout my career, each year seems to have unfolded as a completely different story, and that's part of the beauty of sport," she said. "A new year is like writing a new chapter. Sometimes it's exciting, sometimes it's infuriating. Every emotion crosses your path, but that's what makes it fun."
A Teenage Girl Who Dreamed While Watching Her Sister Jessica
Even the world's best players are not perfect. As everyone knows, golf is not an easy sport. Many amateurs struggling in deep bunkers around the green can take heart. That's because even Nelly Korda, who found a breakthrough and carved her own path, wrestled with the same problems in her teenage years.
Around the age of 14, Korda's golf skills looked like a mess, by her own account. "Honestly, if you had seen my swing back then, it was truly the most horrendous swing I've ever seen in my life." Korda didn't hesitate to run herself down in her exclusive interview with Golf Monthly. "It was so steep, so sloppy, with my arms and body moving completely separately."
That was in 2013. Korda had doubts about whether she could actually achieve her dream of becoming like her older sister Jessica, who had already won on the LPGA Tour.
"It was so hard that I wasn't even sure whether I wanted to keep playing golf," Korda said, looking back on that time. Five years younger than Jessica, Nelly would often follow her sister to tournaments and cheer her on when she wasn't focused on her own game. "My sister was a huge role model for me. I wanted to be like her, and I hoped that someday we could play together," Korda said. "But I was playing with clubs that were too heavy, and I couldn't tell whether I was doing things right. I was in the middle of a growth spurt, and because of that my back got bad at such a young age."
Nelly's father, Petr Korda, was the 1998 Australian Open champion and is regarded as one of the greatest tennis players ever produced by the Czech Republic (then known as Czechoslovakia). Her mother, Regina Rajchrtova, was also a professional tennis player. The two raised their three children in Bradenton, Florida. The IMG Academy, which provides professional-level coaching and education to promising juniors, was not far from where they lived.
All three children in the Korda household grew up to become professional athletes. Two became golfers, and one (Sebastian) became a tennis player. But in 2013, Petr looked at his second child and judged that while she had talent, she was standing at a crossroads in her career. She needed to either overhaul her golf game or choose a completely different path. Her father went to see David Whelan, then IMG's director of golf, to seek advice. The Englishman, who had played on tour, had built his reputation as the longtime coach of Paula Creamer.
"One day Nelly's father came into my office and complained that she was struggling so badly with bunker play," said Whelan, now 64, who currently coaches golfers at Lakewood National Golf Club in Bradenton. "So I took Nelly out and we practiced in the bunker, and we've been together ever since."
Korda's skills improved dramatically right away. Just a few weeks later, she qualified for the 2013 U.S. Women's Open through sectional qualifying. At Sebonack Golf Club on Long Island, New York, Korda played a practice round with her then 20-year-old sister, with her father on the bag. Then she drove her opening tee shot straight down the middle of the fairway. She looked like a seasoned professional.
Korda said in a press interview at the time: "I felt good. I wasn't nervous on the first hole, which was really surprising. I just stepped up and hit the shot the way I would at a junior tournament." Nelly made the cut and finished tied for 64th, confirming that she was back on the trajectory of the dream she had been chasing.
Whelan reflected on that period: "Nelly's swing wasn't as bad as she says it was. But it also wasn't good enough to make her dreams come true. Her short game was really lacking, so early on we mainly focused on fixing that problem. And now Nelly is one of the best chippers on the LPGA Tour."
A Winless 2025
On top of that, Korda is known as one of the longest and most consistent drivers on the LPGA Tour, and she also ranks near the top in greens-in-regulation. When her putter gets hot, she is nearly impossible to beat. "On days when her putting is working, Nelly is going to finish in the top three at any tournament," Whelan said. He also coaches Lydia Ko, who has been world No. 1 three times. "Nelly was in contention many times last year, and if she had made just one or two more putts at those moments, she would have taken home quite a few titles."
Korda turned professional at 18, four years after first meeting Whelan at IMG Academy. "David completely rebuilt my swing," Korda said. "David will always be deeply involved in my golf game going forward. In effect, it's thanks to him that my love for the game was revived. The reason I'm here today is all because of him."
Korda had her best season in 2024, winning seven times including five in a row, and rose to the world No. 1 ranking. Her play in 2025 was also steady. She made the cut in all 19 events she entered. But the feel for winning seemed to evaporate. Golf is a fickle game. In the meantime, Thitikul, who notched three wins, pushed Korda off the top of the world rankings, took control of the women's golf scene and also claimed the LPGA Tour's Rolex Player of the Year award.
"Last year was a bit disappointing in that I didn't lift a single trophy, but it was still a wonderful year," Korda said. "I was in contention at the U.S. Women's Open, and I was battling for the lead at other tournaments too, but golf is really a game you can't figure out. It comes down to a matter of centimeters, and if luck had gone my way in just a few situations, it would have been a completely different year." Korda added: "My parents always say this: it's not a sprint, it's a marathon."
Korda first joined the U.S. Solheim Cup team in 2019, and that year Nelly and Jessica fulfilled their shared dream of becoming the first sisters to play as partners at the Solheim Cup. Annika and Charlotta Sorenstam had also both been selected for the European team in 1998, but they did not play in the same pairing.
"Another thing my parents
