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 entered the final day with a five-shot lead and maintained it throughout the afternoon at Memorial Park. She closed with a two-under 70, securing a five-shot victory and capturing her third major title of her career. This win marks her 17th on the LPGA and 21st worldwide, propelling 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. Korda took the lead early in the opening round by hitting a five-iron to five feet for a birdie on the 16th hole. From that point on, she never trailed, maintaining a commanding lead throughout the tournament.
Despite the apparent ease of her performance, Korda admitted the weekend 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 her victory in the traditional manner — a cannonball into the four-and-a-half-foot pool built to the right of the 18th green. This tradition, which dates back to 1988 when the winner jumped into Poppie’s Pond at Mission Hills, is a highlight of the Chevron Championship.
Her lead was briefly challenged after a tentative three-putt bogey on the 12th hole, but she quickly regained control with a wedge shot to two feet on the 13th and a three-wood to the green on the par-five 14th, securing a final birdie.
Korda joined an elite group of players, including Juli Inkster (1989) and Amy Alcott (1991), as the only players in the last 50 years to win LPGA majors while leading by multiple shots after each round.
The 27-year-old American star has been in the spotlight this season, playing in the final group in all five tournaments she has participated in. She won the season opener and the first major, finishing runner-up in the other three.
One of the few points of drama during the final hour was whether Korda could break Dottie Pepper’s 72-hole scoring record from 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 the 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, which prevented the victory from being a blowout. However, this was part of her new mindset: not worrying about mistakes, knowing she could make them up later.
“I wanted 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 and Patty Tavatanakit tied for second place, finishing at 69 and 70 respectively. 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 cut the deficit to four shots, only to make a bogey on the eighth. Yin went 56 consecutive holes without a bogey until making one on the 17th.
Korda’s victory earned her $1.35 million, placing her back at the top of women’s golf without any debate. She has already won seven times in 2024, including a record-tying five in a row, capped off with her Chevron Championship win at Carlton Woods.
This was the first time the LPGA’s opening major was held at Memorial Park, a redesigned course that previously hosted the Houston Open on the PGA Tour.
