Nothing’s new, just Nelly Korda draining birdie putts and playing exceptionally once again. But this time it was for her country at the 19th Solheim Cup. The 14-time LPGA Tour winner became the only American pro to win two sessions on the opening day of the Patriotic battle with at least 3 holes to play. As always, Korda was a force to be reckoned with, and the Europeans just could not beat the pro’s remarkable form.

Seeing this, captain Stacy Lewis plans to start the second day with her ace players, Korda and Allisen Corpuz. Again! However, to throw off the 26-year-old from her class performance, the European captain, Suzann Pettersen, has thrown a curveball for Saturday Foursomes by choosing Carlota Ciganda to face Korda with Emily Pedersen. The Americans and Spanish might be on amicable terms, but they have an unfinished business to settle.

Nelly Korda favors Carlota Ciganda’s disqualification

Say it feud, or Nelly Korda having a different opinion, she favored Ciganda’s disqualification from the 2023 Evian Amundi Championship. One year ago, at Évian-les-Bains, Ciganda was playing the final hole of the second round when an LPGA Tour official approached her and told her that she was given a two-stroke penalty after not aligning with the LPGA Tour’s Rules of Slow Play that a golfer should not take more than 40 seconds to hit a shot.

Ciganda appealed the penalty but was promptly denied. Then, the Spaniard did not add it to her scorecard and was disqualified from the event. Even if she had agreed to the penalty, Ciganda would have missed the weekends as she wouldn’t have crossed the cutline. Nonetheless, Ciganda deemed it a poor performance from the Tour’s side, but Korda disagreed. Talking about the same, the 14-time LPGA Tour winner said, “The Rules of Golf are The Rules of Golf, and it’s good that it’s being enforced.” 

Additionally, Korda explained that she liked Ciganda and playing with her but agreed that her 2-stroke penalty was fair. The 26-year-old also talked from the fans’ perspective and expressed that it’s tough to watch a 6-hour-long event. Even at the US Women’s Open this year, Korda reiterated her disregard for slow play. “Honestly, I despise slow play. It drives me up a freaking wall. I just can’t stand it,” she told No Laying Up in an interview.

As it seems, Korda and Ciganda have totally different gameplay, and the latter could potentially throw off Korda’s rhythm at the Solheim Cup. At least it did the same at the 2023 edition.

Carlota Ciganda gave Nelly Korda the saddest heartbreak

Going back in time, in September 2023, Nelly Korda was at the Finca Cortesin in Spain, only a point close to letting Team USA roar in celebration. The Americans entered the final day of the Solheim Cup tied 8-8 with the Europeans; the match was neck-to-neck till the end, and all the burden was on Korda. She was against the hometown favorite, Carlota Ciganda, and had to win her single match. After trailing behind Ciganda till the 14th hole, Korda tied it on the 15th.

But Ciganda’s birdie on the 16th, and was one up with two holes to go. The next moment was the one that decided the fate of the Americans. The Spaniard was only two feet away from making the birdie putt, while Korda had missed the green. The crowd already knew, and so did the Korda. The putt was drained, the Solheim Cup tied at 14-14, and the Europeans celebrated as they retained the cup.

It was the biggest heartbreak for Korda, as the missed green went down as one of the ‘what if’ moments of the Solheim Cup. She could have secured Team USA’s first Solheim Cup in the last three editions. The heartbreak forced Korda to take nearly a month off from the LPGA Tour and focus on her mental health.

As Ciganda and Korda face each other again on the same stage, it would be enthralling to see who would overpower whom and come out victorious.