AR
Nelly Korda walked into the U.S. Women’s Open interview tent at Riviera Country Club on Tuesday looking not like she was going out to play golf but heading for a World Cup match at SoFi Stadium. The World No. 1 donned a star-filled blue football jersey with a huge USA logo and the number 13 on the front and back.
That, of course, is among the most famous numbers in women’s soccer, worn by Alex Morgan during her illustrious international career for the United States. And it just so happened the Morgan was on the grounds at Riviera for the day, though Korda said she hadn’t see her, and apparently wasn’t aware of the connection to 13.
She had her own reasons for the number choice.
“It’s my favourite number,” Korda said. “One, my parents are 13 days apart. Our second major was my 13th win. It’s always been a lot of people think Friday the 13th or 13 has been an unlucky number, but I’ve always loved the number 13.”
She did add, “I know that the World Cup is starting in a week, right? So there’s no better place to kind of be patriotic than the U.S. Women’s Open.”
There is also the fact that on Tuesday, the LPGA announced that Korda has become the first American to clinch a spot for this year’s Solheim Cup—four months before it will be played in the Netherlands.
As for luck, Korda isn’t much in need of that these days. She enters the second major of the year as the hottest player on tour, having won three times in seven starts this season, with another three runners-up. She’s already got her first major of the season in the bag with a victory in April’s Chevron Championship.
The 27-year-old has three major victories total, but has to win the one she covets the most. She came closest than ever last year, trailing by just one shot heading into the back nine on Sunday at Erin Hills. But her putter turned cold and she bogeyed the 18th hole, ultimately tying for second, two shots behind first-time major champion Maja Stark.
It would probably be overstating it say that the single defeat consumed Korda, because she had numerous disappointments in a winless campaign, but it provided even more motivation to stay organized and diligent in her work.
“I was definitely a little bit more motivated after last year not getting a win, but when it came to just my prep, everything stayed the same,” Korda said. “I didn’t go to Asia. I took that time off to really get my body ready, spend some time in the gym, didn’t touch my clubs for a little bit. Then when I thought I was ready, I started really grinding on my game. That’s kind of what I’ve been doing for the past three or four years.”
“Sometimes,” she added, “you get the bounces and the luck goes your way and sometimes it doesn’t. But I feel like … athletes, after they’ve had like a tough year, they try to reinvent the wheel, and they try to change so much about their games. I feel like that leads them into trouble. It makes them doubt stuff a little bit more. Maybe you just don’t feel very comfortable in your own skin after you’ve changed a lot about your game, maybe your team as well.
“I always just try to be like, OK, this works. I’m putting in the effort every single day, and I know that if I continue this path, like it will change.”
Korda has taken a couple of weeks off since a T-8 result in Cincinnati that she wasn’t very happy with. But being “off” is very different things to different players. For Korda, she described her non-competitive weeks and that she takes only one day off. For the others, she gets up very early to work out, practice her golf, and get treatment from her trainer Kim Baughman. She finishes around 5 or 6, grabs dinner and goes to bed.
“All those days, you kind of sacrifice your time at home with your friends or with family,” Korda said, “but it’s just so worth it because there’s no better rush of emotions than being in the hunt.”
Korda certainly seemed upbeat and rested in her time with reporters. Her eyes lit up the most when she was asked about the popularity of women’s golf and her own standing as the face of the LPGA.
“Definitely don’t think of myself as the face of the sport, but I would say that it’s growing,” she said. “I’ve seen from my rookie year, or even just maybe 2023, I’ve seen a big interest in girls, little girls coming out, supporting us.
“It’s amazing to see how many dads and little girls come out to our events. … It has grown every single year. There are times where Jay [McDede, her caddie] and I catch ourselves, and we kind of look around to the crowd and we’re like, ‘wow, it’s amazing to see how many people are here on a Thursday.’”
Korda’s mood is likely buoyed what seems a quick affinity for Riviera. Prior to this week, she said she’d played it only one other time, and on a day when the par 3s had temporary greens. Her next tour of it was for a practice round on Monday when she teed off at 6:56 a.m. By her side was her coach Jamie Mulligan, the renowned Southern California instructor who can no doubt visual every nuance of Riviera in his sleep.
“It’s in pristine condition. It’s an amazing place,” Korda said. “Obviously, the men rave about it every year, and for us to get to play this golf course in a major championship in major championship conditions. … I know some golf courses kind of wait until Wednesday to really speed up the greens, but it’s amazing out here. I mean, the vibe of the place, knowing that so much history has been played out here. It’s a great place for us to play.”
With those raves, she said her favorite visual might be the elevated tee shot at No. 1, and the biggest challenge will be how to play the famous drivable par-4 10th.
“You would think like it being a short hole that it’s an easy birdie chance, but that green is just so tough,” she said. “The bunker is tough. Even if you go for it, when they push up the tee, hitting it to the left, it’s a really tough chip shot.”
When the press conference was over, Korda headed out to the range, and it figured she’d get back into golf clothes, right? Nope. There she was striping balls on the range, still in that lucky No. 13 jersey.
Follow Golf Digest Middle East on social media
Main Image: Kathryn Riley
