World No. 1 Nelly Korda has recorded her third straight victory on the LPGA Tour, edging out rookie Hira Naveed by two shots in the desert to take the Ford Championship title.
Having won the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship the week beforehand, the American came in as the hot favorite – and she didn’t disappoint.
Korda needed to be at her best, however, and her 7-under, bogey-free 65 certainly included a lot of “solid golf”.
“I think it was definitely one of my least stressful wins today. I played really solid golf,” reflected the 25-year-old, after claiming LPGA Tour title number 11.
“I didn’t make too many mistakes, and if I did, I just had a straightforward chip. Overall, I capitalized on the majority of my really good shots out there today and made some good putts as well.
“I’m very, very pleased with how I played today in the tough conditions.”
With the victory, the Florida native has become the first player since Ariya Jutanugarn in 2016 to win in three consecutive starts on the LPGA Tour, and she’s the first American to do so since Nancy Lopez won five straight events in 1978.
Nelly Korda’s ball striking in the desert was a joy to watch
(Image credit: Getty Images)
The win also sends out a warning to her rivals, that her game is right where it needs to be as she looks to add to the one Major Championship on her CV.
Korda is the first player to take home three LPGA Tour titles before April 1 since Yani Tseng last did so in 2012, which is very fine form ahead of Major season.
The best player in the men’s game, Scottie Scheffler, was also looking to make it three wins on the bounce on the PGA Tour, but he came up agonisingly short at the Houston Open.
Both Korda and Scheffler have that look of invincibility about them at the moment, and only a fool would bet against the pair adding to their list of titles again in 2024.
In fact, Korda will surely tee it up as favorite to win next week’s T-Mobile Match Play at Shadow Creek.
“I’m just really enjoying myself out there,” Korda said. “I love golf. I’ve always loved golf. Sometimes, it’s harder than other days. Last year was definitely one of the harder years. I never really got any momentum going with injuries and such.”
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