Korda has been through an erratic graph of highs and lows this season! The lows were only disappointing because of the standards that Nelly Korda has already set, not only for herself but for women’s golf as a whole. Five consecutive wins are not flukes. It shows dedication, passion, and a thorough grip over one’s skills. With that, Korda has been able to lift women’s golf to a new height.

Women in sports always need to struggle a little more to earn their name. Be it golf or basketball, the times are changing, and players like Caitlin Clark, the WNBA rookie of the year, and Nelly Korda, too, are shaping their own sport with their extensive list of commendable achievements. And it is not only her fans; her rivals and colleagues from the LPGA Tour accept and celebrate it. Hence, going past the recent Clark hype, Zhang puts Korda in the spotlight.

Zhang and Korda have been playing for the same titles, and yet Rose Zhang praises her with no form of hesitation. She recently revealed to Dailymail UK how similar Korda is to the WNBA’s Caitlin Clark. She stated, “Nelly is definitely having a very similar, if not the same, impact as Caitlin.” The golfer further added, “She’s putting women’s golf on the map. She’s incredible. I’m so happy for everything that she’s accomplished.”

However, Zhang did not dismiss the fact that this long list of achievements comes with its own demerits. Hence, she acknowledged, “She must be tired but she’s living the life. She has a lot of expectations but she’s been able to excel and that’s not something that just any player can do.”

The World No. 22, who turned professional only last year, Rose Zhang, did not forget to mention how inspired she is by Korda’s performance so far. She confessed, “It’s an inspiration to us, her competitors but at the same time she’s also inspiring so many young girls to get into the sport because it looks cool.”

Many golf veterans, including Stacy Lewis, talked about how Korda has some responsibilities that she does not always wish for. Lewis insinuated that it was important for the LPGA. She assessed, “I think Nelly does have a responsibility, and she probably doesn’t always want it, just knowing her… We have to push out partners to say, How can we make this happen? It’s getting creative. Maybe changing tee timing, playing earlier or later, whatever it is. We got to figure out a way to be more visible.”

Lewis also stated that one should push for better TV coverage because, in a male-dominated sports world, it is hard to establish oneself. She said, “We got to continue to push our TV partners to help us get more coverage. I was disappointed to not see that entire match on Sunday on TV. I just felt like you’re really probably looking at a two-some, three to three and a half hours of golf, and I was really disappointed we didn’t get that entire match on TV.”

But does everyone think this way? Well, no! A while ago, ANGC’s Chairman sang high praises of Caitlin Clark, and how she’s able to captivate fans with her energy.

Nelly Korda vs. Caitlin Clark: Augusta chairman’s choice

The Augusta Chairman, Fred Ridley, did not choose Nelly Korda. Instead, he revealed how he finds amateurs in any sports game to have another level of charm and capacity that is quite hard to surpass. His major example is the WNBA’s Caitlin Clark.

He revealed how he started watching the WNBA more just for one figure who is exceptional in her own way. It’s Caitlin Clark, who might change the direction of the WNBA. Hence, Ridley stated, “I have to confess that, in spite of my love of the game and the women’s game of golf, I haven’t watched a lot of women’s basketball, but I watched the last three or four games that Iowa played this year. So there you go. I mean, it’s just the way she plays, the way Caitlin plays the game, her passion, her energy, it just — it really just captures the imagination of the fans.”

He further mentioned how young amateurs are likely the only players who can negate the long-standing prejudices about certain sports. Ridley thus declared, “There’s something about it, even with all the change in rules and NIL and transfer portals, but amateur athletes just have an appealing characteristic to me. And particularly the young ones.”

Do you think Nelly Korda is required to be compared with Caitlin Clark? Do you think she will be able to surpass the latter’s popularity? Let us know in the comments below.