Despite Losing Out on a $765,000 Payday, Nelly Korda Celebrates Her Latest Achievement: ‘My Hard Work Has Paid Off’

The first LPGA major of the year ended on Sunday, with America’s Lilia Vu emerging as the winner. This is Vu’s first major and second overall win on the LPGA Tour. Fan-favorite Nelly Korda is another American who had a good outing at The Club at Carlton Woods.

On Sunday, Korda eagled the 18th hole to shoot a 71, finishing third on the leaderboard. While the LPGA star may have failed to win the major, her stellar performance has now helped her achieve another amazing feat. The 24-year-old golfer explained that her “consistent play” was the reason behind her latest achievement.

Nelly Korda is set to be back at No. 1

When the Chevron Championship kicked off, golf fans eagerly awaited the heroics of golfing heavyweights like Lydia Ko and Nelly Korda. While Ko faltered, Korda finished her run with a solo third at nine under, walking away with  $348,975 in winnings. She is also set to knock off 2-time major winner Ko to return to the top on the Women’s World Golf Rankings.

Also Read: ‘Doesn’t Happen Very Often’: Keeping It Real, Nelly Korda Sums Up Her Body Condition in Just 4-Words

After Sunday’s round, the young golfer spoke to the press about her return to the World No. 1 position. “It would have been obviously very nice to win the major, as well, but I think being World No. 1 is very rewarding,” she shared. Korda, who won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in 2021, also acknowledged the ever-shifting nature of the rankings, saying, “All my hard work has paid off, and hopefully continue building, but the No. 1 ranking keeps bouncing back and forth, back and forth. That is something actually I don’t really tend to focus on too much.” 

However, the Olympic gold medallist also pointed out that “the rankings at the end of the day tell you the consistent play you’re playing.” The LPGA sensation made a long eagle putt at her last hole to shoot a 71, finishing third at 9-under 279. World no. 3 Ko Jin-young shot a 68, tying for the 9th position with America’s Megan Khang.

Meanwhile, Lilia Vu defeated Angel Yin on their first-hole playoff hole to win the Chevron Championship, walking away with the biggest share of the $5.1 million prize purse.

America’s Lilia Vu clinches first major title at Chevron Championship

Lilia Vu, a 25-year-old from California, overcame fellow compatriot Angel Yin to become a major winner for the first time. The former made a 25-foot birdie putt on the first hole of the playoff at the par-5 18th to edge past Yin. Vu’s victory came at a time when big LPGA names like Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson failed to make the cut at the year’s first LPGA major.

The 2023 Chevron Championship winner will walk away with an incredible $765,000 in earnings. Meanwhile, Angel Yin has earned $481,060 courtesy of her second-place finish. Following her victory, Vu took a celebratory leap into the pond at The Club at Carlton Woods, a tradition that has continued from the Chevron Championship’s former home at Mission Hills in the California desert.

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What do you think of Korda’s latest achievement? What was your favorite moment from this year’s Chevron Championship? Let us know in the comments below!