Korda chases history in Chevron Championship
THE WOODLANDS (AP) — Nelly Korda hasn’t really considered her place in history as she prepares to chase her fifth consecutive victory, which would tie the LPGA record, this weekend at the Chevron Championship.
“I’m so in the present that I don’t let myself think about that too much,” she said. “I feel like that just comes with a little bit more added pressure.”
She does, however, appreciate the feedback she gets from her youngest fans.
“Obviously there is nothing better to me than seeing all the little kids come out and saying that I inspire them to pick up a golf club or I’m their favorite golfer,” she said. “There is no better feeling than that. Hopefully I do get to inspire the next generation with the love that I have for the game and hopefully they have it too.”
This tournament is the first of five women’s major championships this season where Korda will try to win her first major since the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in 2021 and join Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sorenstam (2004-05) as the only women to win five consecutive LPGA events.
She’ll compete against a field which includes last year’s Chevron champion Lilia Vu, who captured her first major with the victory. She was the LPGA player of the year last year after going on to win the Women’s British Open.
The 26-year-old is looking forward to defending her title in a place that she quickly became quite fond of.
“Instantly when I landed in Houston it felt very calming to me,” she said. “I felt almost sort of home. I don’t know, I just kept thinking about it. Even my parents were talking about it last night. Could be a place to consider to move.”
Vu won last year’s tournament in dramatic fashion with a birdie on the first playoff hole to outlast Angel Yin.
Vu likes the increased attention that women’s golf is getting recently because of Korda’s streak and likened it to the surge in popularity of women’s basketball because of superstar Caitlin Clark.
“She is bringing so much to the table, just win after win, just having everything together,” Vu said. “She’s done such a good job. So well liked and loved out here. She brings a big following. She’s a great person. So … she’s kind of our Caitlin Clark out here.”