Nelly Korda stands just two points from the LPGA Hall of Fame, a milestone she could reach with a victory at this week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. To manage the historic pressure, Korda employs a simple trick: she intentionally ignores the details.
Korda enters the year’s third major in dominant form, having already won the first two. Her ball-striking is in a class of its own; she leads the LPGA Tour in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green and Off the Tee, and ranks second in SG: Approach. This statistical control has produced four wins and three runner-up finishes in her first eight starts. Despite her proximity to history, her focus remains narrow. “I think I have a very in-the-moment mindset this year, which I’m just trying to take towards the end of the year,” Korda stated.
The 27-year-old admitted she was unaware of the 27-point requirement for the Hall of Fame, or that she currently has 25 points. A major victory is worth two. “I kind of like to be oblivious about it in that way,” she said. Her preparation is her only anchor against the external noise. “No matter what happens, I’ve just told myself if I am lifting the trophy —like, that is obviously the main goal at the end the week — I’m going to prepare or focus on my preparation and know that I’m 100 percent confident in it and lean on that.”
For Korda, adding external expectations is a non-starter. “I know a lot about the stuff that I want to know about, but this, I don’t want to put extra pressure on myself. I feel like the game of golf is already hard enough. If I add more pressure on myself then it’s going to be even harder. I think it’s an amazing accomplishment and it would be one of the best achievements of my career, for sure.”
