CLIFTON, N.J. — What else is there to say about Nelly Korda? Well, there’s actually a lot if you consider that once again, she’s on the cusp of history.
Korda is seeking a record-breaking sixth straight LPGA Tour victory at this week’s Cognizant Founders Cup, having won her fifth consecutive title at The Chevron Championship a few weeks ago. That major title saw Korda match Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez as just the third known player since 1978 to win five times in a row on the LPGA Tour.
But now, Korda has a chance to create her own category in the Tour’s record books at Upper Montclair Country Club, and she’s well on her to way to doing just that after 36 holes in Clifton, N.J.
She kicked off her week in the Garden State with a solid 3-under 69 on Thursday, making one bogey and four birdies in the opening round, three of which came on par 5s. Then, on a cold, damp Friday, Korda again showed the world why she’s currently No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings and why she’s the hottest golfer in the world at the moment, female or male.
She raced out of the gate in the second round, making a pair of back-to-back birdies on holes one and two to quickly move to 5-under overall. After a pair of pars on the third and fourth holes, Korda birdied again on the par-4 5th hole to get to 6-under and grabbed one final front-nine birdie on No. 7 to turn in 32 at 7-under for the tournament.
As the temperatures dropped on the back nine, Korda also cooled off, parring holes 10 through 13 before finally collecting her fifth birdie of the day on the par-5 14th hole. She parred 15, 16 and 17, picking up one last birdie on 18 to post a 6-under 66, tying her second-lowest round on the LPGA Tour this season.
“You kind of have to say to yourself that everyone is going through these conditions and that you got to battle through it,” said Korda, who hasn’t made a bogey in 32 holes. “Everyone is in the same boat, and you just have to rise above it mentally and then enjoy the time that you have out there. I hit 17 out of 18 greens so that definitely helps. I tried going 18 for 18 but came up just short on 17.
“Hit it really well off the tee, too, which is crucial out here because the thick rough and wet conditions can get pretty brutal. Overall, I’m pretty pleased with my game.”
Korda currently trails 36-hole co-leaders Madelene Sagstrom and Rose Zhang by four shots, a perfectly surmountable deficit for the 13-time LPGA Tour winner considering her performances when trailing this season. While she did lead after the second round at the LPGA Drive On Championship before going on to win, no other time this year has Korda been ahead after 36 holes.
She trailed by five shots at the FIR HILLS SERI PAK Championship before winning in a playoff over Ryann O’Toole on Sunday at Palos Verdes Golf Club and was four behind at the Ford Championship presented by KCC after day two. Before a cut was made to the top eight players for the match-play portion of the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards, Korda was six shots off the pace at Shadow Creek, and at The Chevron Championship, she was one shot back through 36 holes at The Club at Carlton Woods.
So, if her recent history is any indication, the four-shot disadvantage she now faces isn’t too much for Korda to overcome on the weekend at the Cognizant Founders Cup. Add in difficult conditions at a challenging venue like Upper Montclair Country Club, and no lead will be safe over the next 36 holes.
Korda’s secret to success lies within her bubble, and that’s exactly where she’s planning to stay on Saturday and Sunday as she chases glory, no matter what is thrown her way by Mother Nature or her fellow competitors.
“Everything is about staying very in the moment, staying very present in these kind of conditions, especially on this golf course,” said Korda. “Sometimes you get too ahead of yourself and maybe start pressing too much and making mistakes. I did a really good job staying present and in my own little bubble. Jess says it could be like a drinking game now how many times I say it.”
But that bubble is something that works, and Korda will once again be looking to prove that point this weekend at Upper Montclair Country Club as she tries to do what no known player has done in LPGA Tour history – win six tournaments in a row.
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