Nelly Korda won the Annika for her seventh win of the season.
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It’s still 2024, so Nelly Korda still wins.
Korda, who entered this week with six wins in his career so far this calendar year, added another trophy to his collection on Sunday as he fired a final round 67 at Pelican Golf Club to defeat Annika by three shots. The win puts her at more than $4 million in earnings for the 2024 season and leaves her just over $200,000 shy of the LPGA single-season record set by Lorena Ochoa in 2007.
At the start of the day, there were doubts as to whether Korda would have enough in the tank to claim another title. Starting one day behind Charley Hull, Korda needed something special to catch the lead.
As he has done so many times this season, Korda delivered.
After playing the front nine in double par, Korda caught fire on the back nine and recorded five straight birdies on Nos. 11-15 to move ahead. After taking the lead, he never looked back.
“You should have felt the feelings I felt after nine, and then after taking a break due to injury, it feels good to be back here,” said Korda. “There’s nothing like being on the road, the adrenaline feeling after nine, and being in contention. I really like it.”
With the victory, Korda becomes the first player since 2011 to win seven or more titles in a season and adds to an already storied Player of the Year campaign.
A win at next week’s CME Group Tour Championship would make Korda the first player to win eight in an LPGA season since Lorena Ochoa in 2007.
On Sunday, that proved to be a long way off as he got off to a bad start for the second straight day. He credited longtime teammate Jason McDede for helping start his back-9 30, a theme he echoed throughout the season.
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“There aren’t many happy thoughts at first,” she said. “But, yeah, I mean, I have such a great team. [McDede] and I have been together because I think that next year will be our ninth year. Having him by my side helps because he knows what he’s going to say if I let myself down.”
Korda was also surprised on the 18th green by his brother, professional tennis player Sebastian Korda. Although Korda’s parents were the mainstays this season, he said it was the first time Sebastian had seen him win in person.
“It’s great to see him do his thing,” Sebastian Korda said. “He did very well this year; he worked incredibly hard. He’s been through a lot and always comes back fighting and he just got back to work. One of the things I admire about him is how hard he works.”
It was also Korda’s first win of the season since switching to the putter that won his first six majors earlier this year, including his second major at the Chevron Championship.
Ahead of the AIG Women’s Open, Korda introduced the TaylorMade Spider Tour X with an L neck and short sight line. He’s kept it in the bag ever since, but due to injury, this is just Korda’s fourth event playing the new flatstick, including the Solheim Cup.
Safe to say, it works.
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