“Trying to beat Nelly is almost what we are trying to aim for because if you beat her, you’re probably going to have the trophy in your hands,” said Hannah Green on the eve of the 2024 U.S. Women’s Open. Even when Yuka Saso took home the trophy, Nelly Korda is still the one LPGA players fear the most, with her consistent dominance and skill on the course making her a formidable opponent.

Speaking on the latest episode of The Subpar on Spotify, when asked about the player who makes her feel ‘insecure’ about her game, Schmelzel’s response was clear: Nelly Korda. “I see her hit driver – she’s got an incredible swing,” Schmelzel said, referring to Korda’s powerful drives with her TaylorMade Qi10 Max driver, which features a Mitsubishi Diamana GT 60 S shaft. “She’s got so much control over a golf ball.”

Schmelzel praised Korda for multiple reasons, highlighting her impressive skills on the course. “And like I said, she hits it far. But she’s also so good at just like feeling her way around a golf course, and she’s got that mental edge where she’s never out of it,” Schmelzel said. This combination of power and finesse makes Korda a formidable opponent. Schmelzel also commended Korda’s record-breaking seven consecutive wins last year, noting that some of these victories came from behind or after a rocky start to the round.

“I mean, she won, what was it, 7 times in a row last year. And a few of those are come from behinds or a few of those are screwing up at the beginning of the round, “ Schmelzel said. Well, not seven, but five times in a row, Nelly Korda started the 2024 LPGA season with a dominant run, winning the LPGA Drive On Championship, the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship, the Ford Championship, the T-Mobile Match Play, and her second major title, The Chevron Championship. She then took a brief pause before rebounding with her sixth victory of the year at the Mizuho Americas Open.

Korda capped off her remarkable season with a seventh win at The ANNIKA, edging out top players in a tight competition. This ability to stay focused and adapt under pressure is what sets Korda apart. As Schmelzel put it, “If she’s 4 out of the lead on Sunday, you’re like, she’s got a chance,” highlighting Korda’s mental toughness and ability to secure victories even when the stakes are high, but have you ever wondered-

How does Nelly Korda do it under pressure?

After a stunning bogey-free performance in the second round of the Cognizant Founders Cup, she attributed her success to staying present and in her own “little bubble”. “Did a really good job of staying present and just staying in my own little bubble,” she told reporters, laughing at how often she repeats this mantra. This mindset helped her produce a six-under-par 66, moving her to third on the leaderboard, four shots behind overnight leaders Madelene Sagstrom and Rose Zhang. Korda’s ability to stay focused under intense pressure was impressive.

She had won her fifth consecutive title at the Chevron Championship just a month prior, joining Annika Sörenstam and Nancy Lopez as the only players to win five in a row on the tour. “Everything is about staying very in the moment, staying very present in these kind of conditions, especially on this golf course,” she emphasized after her second round. Despite her busy schedule and recent successes taking a toll on her mental energy, Korda seemed refreshed and ready to take on the challenge ahead. She had even opted out of competing at the JM Eagle LA Championship due to exhaustion, saying, “I just felt like mentally, I just needed the rest. I was just so mentally tired going through all those situations and high-pressure moments.”