After the season she had, Nelly Korda was supposed to dominate 2025. The 26-year-old absolutely proved that on the LPGA Tour last year, winning a record 7 titles. Not many have had the privilege to claim such a record. But with the outstanding record came expectations. Fans just assumed she would carry forward her form and go on a winning run this year as well. But so far, that has not been the case at all.
Nelly Korda had a five-tournament win streak, and she did not retain all of those wins in the subsequent tournaments. The fifth was cancelled by the interim commissioner, Liz Moore. This was because the sponsors of the FIR HILLS SERI PAK Championship failed to pay their dues. Overall, Korda has played in six events this season. She has only managed top-10 finishes in the first couple of events of the season.
In the others, the world No. 1’s worst performance was a T28 finish in the 2025 T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards. Now, why is this shocking? Because in every cut Korda made in 2024, her worst ever finish was T26. This season, Korda has nearly doubled that, and we have not even completed half a year yet.
There was a time Nelly Korda was compared to Caitlin Clark. Fans were expecting her to have the same kind of impact as the WNBA superstar. But now those hopes have faded away, and all she has faced is criticism. Amid the pressure of expectations, the Rolex Player of the Year 2024 has finally received some support from a LPGA Tour legend.
Michelle Wie West joined the latest episode of Golf Today on Golf Channel recently. She was questioned about Korda’s form. Damon Hack asked her how much she empathizes with the world No. 1 for all the pressure she has on her shoulders as “the face of the LPGA” Tour.
The retired legend stated, “She has a lot on her shoulders. I think she is handling the pressure really well. She’s learning how to lean on her team and her support systems. She’s learning how to say no to things, which is very important to do.” West would know how important it is to say no, as she suffered during her career for pushing her limits one too many times. Her stubbornness to train like Tiger Woods led to a lot of injuries and derailed her career.
Speaking about Korda’s attitude towards the sport, the retired LPGA Tour star added, “She has very strong personal boundaries, which is amazing. She has got a great head on her shoulders. I would love to see her win at our event. I thought it was really great last year.” Commending Korda on how she sets her boundaries, West also confessed that she would love seeing her retain the title in the 2025 Mizuho Americas Open, an event that she hosts.
Coming back to the immense pressure top golfers have on their shoulders, the 5x LPGA Tour winner said, “It’s a lot of pressure for these young girls. To have that much pressure on them. I completely empathize.” The top LPGA Tour superstars like Korda, Lydia Ko, and Jeeno Thitkul do face a lot of pressure to perform every tournament they participate in.
Not finishing in the top half of them or winning a few every year gets them a lot of criticism. Moreover, the world No. 1 has recently suffered a big loss as her beloved cat, Rafi, passed away after accompanying her for 15 years. Still mourning over her loss, Korda might be a bit distracted from achieving her desired result in the 2025 Mizuho Americas Open.
Having said that, Nelly Korda and all of the best LPGA Tour stars will be on the field at the Liberty National Golf Club. But who will be the likely winner this weekend?
Nelly Korda faces another tough title defence
Nelly Korda’s failed title defence attempts may have already created a roadblock for her going into the Liberty National Golf Club. She has only two more shots to retain her title. Hence, her defence at the 2025 Mizuho Americas Open is extremely vital.
However, Korda’s toughest competition in the tournament will be most fiercest rival. Unlike the world No. 1, Lydia Ko has been on a great run this season. She has already won the HSBC Women’s World Championship back in February 2025. She will be looking to bag her second title of the season. Ko also has two other top 10 finishes, which shows that she is as hungry for glory as she was in 2024.
Another great challenger for the Caitlin Clark of the LPGA Tour will be Rose Zhang. However, the Stanford University student might not be in great form this year either. She has also struggled with injuries recently. In fact, Zhang even admitted to still not being tournament-ready in an interview recently. But the 21-year-old has a tendency to surprise her competition. She proved that in her first LPGA Tour event as a member when she won the 2023 Mizuho Americas Open. Being the only other LPGA Tour star to win the tournament, Rose Zhang will definitely be a challenge Nelly Korda has to overcome to retain the championship.
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