Nelly Korda Claims Chevron Championship with Dominant Performance
Nelly Korda delivered a performance that solidified her position as the top player in women’s golf, winning the Chevron Championship on Sunday. Her victory was not just a win but a statement of dominance, showcasing her efficiency and mental strength throughout the tournament.
Korda started the championship with a five-shot lead and maintained it throughout the event, never allowing any competitor to close the gap beyond four shots. She closed with a two-under 70, securing a five-shot victory that marked her third major title and her 17th win on the LPGA Tour. This win also propelled her back to the top of the women’s world rankings for the first time since August.
Her journey to victory was nothing short of remarkable. On the 16th hole of the opening round, she hit a five-iron to five feet for a birdie, taking the lead and never looking back. Despite the ease with which she played, Korda admitted that the experience was mentally challenging.
“That was a hard weekend,” she said. “Honestly, having that big of a lead, it’s not easy. It was definitely one of the hardest things I’ve had to do mentally. … Just happy to get it done.”
Korda celebrated in a traditional manner, jumping into the four-and-a-half-foot pool built to the right of the 18th green, a tradition that dates back to 1988 when the winner jumped into Poppie’s Pond at Mission Hills in the California desert.
Her lead remained strong even after a tentative three-putt bogey on the 12th hole. She followed this up with a wedge shot to two feet on the 13th and then hit a three-wood just short of the green on the par-five 14th for a simple up-and-down for her final birdie.
Korda joined an elite group of players, including Juli Inkster (1989) and Amy Alcott (1991), who have won LPGA majors while leading by multiple shots after each round in the last 50 years.
With this win, Korda has already made a strong start to the season. She has been in the final group in all five tournaments she has played this year, winning the season opener and the first major, finishing runner-up in the other three.
The only real drama during the final hour was whether Korda could break Dottie Pepper’s 72-hole scoring record that has stood since 1999. However, with a large lead, she opted for a conservative approach, hitting to the fat of the green and settling for pars. She finished at 18-under 270, one shot short of Pepper’s record.
Korda made a 25-foot birdie putt on the 12th hole Friday but didn’t make another putt over 10 feet for the rest of the week. This included a trio of four-foot misses that kept the victory from being a blowout. However, this was part of her new outlook—accepting mistakes and knowing she could make them up.
“What I was telling myself was I really want to hoist this trophy because I want to show the kids at home that it’s OK to miss short putts and still win a major championship,” she said with a laugh. “You’re going to make mistakes. You have to mentally still be in it 100 percent, and that’s really what I wanted to show.”
Ruoning Yin (69) and Patty Tavatanakit (70) tied for second place. They were the only ones who could even think about having a chance on Sunday. Tavatanakit made a 25-foot birdie on the sixth hole to get within four shots, only to make a bogey with a wedge on the par-five eighth. Yin went 56 consecutive holes without a bogey until making one on the 17th.
Korda won $1.35 million for a victory that puts her back as the best in women’s golf without any debate. She has seven wins in 2024, including a record-tying five in a row she capped off with a victory at the Chevron when it was held at Carlton Woods.
This was the first time the LPGA’s opening major was held at Memorial Park, a big golf course that had been redesigned for the Houston Open on the PGA Tour.
