After Breaking Her Weeks-long Hiatus, Nelly Korda Stares at a Career Milestone She Doesn’t Want to Have

Is this going to be a trophyless year for Nelly Korda? Ahead of the LPGA Maybank Championship, this was the major question in every golf fan’s mind. The American superstar came very close to winning in March. However, things really haven’t gone her way since she suffered an injury in May.

Solheim Cup too offered no hope for the 25-year-old as the USA failed to stop Europe from a threepeat at Finca Cortesin. Following the heartbreaking loss, the LPGA pro took a hiatus, raising fan’s hope for a blazing comeback. Unfortunately, the eight-time-LPGA-Tour winner is yet to regain her best form and now she is standing in front of a career milestone that she never dreamt of. 

Nelly Korda might go trophyless for the first time in six years

Surprisingly, the beginning of the season could not have been better for the 2023 International Crown winner. She netted a top-five finish in each of her first three outings. The 25-year-old came agonizingly close to winning her maiden season victory at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in March. 

However, after her lower back issue forced her out of play for five weeks, she struggled to regain the strong momentum. Korda missed the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship cut and tied at 64 at the U.S. Women’s Open. Since then her only top-10 finish has come at the Amundi Evian Championship in July.

Now teeing off at the Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur, she is currently sitting at the 64th position on the leaderboard. As per Golf Digest, if Nelly Korda fails to win this season, it will be her first trophyless season since her rookie year, barring the covid impacted 2020. This is very much unlike the Uber-talented LPGA Pro who has made it a habit of bringing home at least one trophy each season.

In a recent interview, Korda said, “I think the season has been up and down,” She further said “There have been really good finishes. At the beginning of the year golf felt really easy. Just was top-10-ing, and then I got injured and the momentum of my season really shifted. So kind of a little bit disappointing obviously, but that’s golf, right?

Her first career victory was in the 2018 Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship which she won again in the next year. The American pro netted four wins in 2021 claiming her first Major win at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. Fans expected to see glimpses of her past seasons this time too after she took a career break in September.

Read More: ‘It’s tough’: Nelly Korda Confesses Her Past Trauma as Its ‘Disappointing’ Aspects Make a Candid Entry

Korda took a long hiatus after the Solheim Cup

Nelly Korda took a break after her Solheim Cup defeat. She missed the NW Arkansas Championship, and LPGA Ascendants before finally gracing the greens on the BMW Ladies Championship. However, she failed to come within the Top 10, finishing at the 16th position on the leaderboard. 

During the sabbatical, she was seen preparing hard for a strong comeback. In an Instagram video, she was seen practicing her putts. The current no.6 is still looking forward to regaining her Rolex Ranking crown. 

The eight-time LPGA Tour winner will hope to turn the tide in her favor in the next rounds. To her aid, the grass in this course is similar to the Ta Shee Golf & Country Club and the Pelican Golf Club, the course of her first career victory and her last tournament win, respectively.

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