Nelly Korda believes Charley Hull’s victory at the AIG Women’s Open will be ‘good for golf’ but is eyeing a new major success of her own at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
Korda is a pre-tournament favorite having already won the Chevron Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open during an impressive campaign, marking her third major title of the season.
Her US Women’s Open success saw her achieve just one win over Gaby Lopez and Hull. Hull has now finished runner-up five times in a major tournament, including twice in the last three years at the AIG Women’s Open, without a breakthrough win.
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Highlights from the US Women’s Open, where Nelly Korda pulled off an impressive win and Charley Hull was eliminated.
Ahead of the final major of the year, Hull said it was ‘painful’ to have had so many close calls with Georgia Hall still the last British women’s major champion of 2018. But Korda was still impressed that she competed so often.
“Sometimes she acts that way, putting herself in that position,” Korda explained in a pre-tournament press conference.
“You can’t control what other people do, but she (Hull) is always doing the right thing to be there, relevant and involved in the hunt.
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Ahead of the AIG Women’s Open, Charlie Hull insisted she does not see Nelly Korda as a rival as she is yet to win a major title.
“It’s similar to Sam Burns (men’s game). He’s been in the hunt for a lot of major championships but he’s not done yet. He’ll get there eventually. You shouldn’t be discouraged, you should be encouraged.
“She (Hull) is such a great character. I think it would be great for her to do that in her home country as well. She is an amazing player with a fun personality. I enjoy playing with her any time.
“I think it would be great for the game of golf.”
‘Authentic’ Korda seeks greater success.
Hull described Korda’s impressive campaign, which included four wins around the world, as ‘unbelievable’ in golf, with the world number one having had to endure additional pressure during her dominant period in the sport.
“I think I’m at a stage in my career where I’m just coming into my own,” she added. “If people don’t like it, that’s okay. If it inspires the next generation, that’s great. That’s what I want.
“Nobody’s going to make me go in this direction or that direction. I’m going to go in the direction I want to go and I’m going to do it very truthfully. I feel like I’m draining a lot of my batteries doing things I don’t want to do.
“I think I’ve kind of figured out, ‘Okay, I enjoy doing this,’ or ‘I’m going to approve this because this is what I want to do.’ If it grows the game and makes people see me, then I think that’s great. But I’ve had to learn that.”
Korda had been ranked in the world’s top eight for 10 consecutive times until a shocking missed cut at the Amundi Evian Championship earlier this month, and broke the record of 34 consecutive cuts spanning nearly two years.
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Nelly Korda made bogey on the par-4 17th hole at the Amundi Evian Championship, missing the cut by one shot from the world No. 1.
“Evian is just a funky golf course,” Korda explained. “To be honest, I didn’t play that bad. It’s golf. Playing well doesn’t mean you’re invincible, it doesn’t mean you’ll make every cut and be in the top 10 every week.
“There will be weeks without it and that’s the reality. I’ve been doing this long enough that I’ve missed the cut to bounce back.”
Korda was eliminated after finishing runner-up to Lydia Ko at last year’s AIG Women’s Open, but with this week’s win, she was confirmed to be inducted into the LPGA Hall of Fame and achieve the career Grand Slam.
Can Korda become the first since Inbee Park in 2013 to win three majors in a single year?
“Any time you’re in contention in a major and you win a title, you get a little emotional,” Korda said of narrowly missing out in 2024. “That’s why we wake up early in the morning and work hard mentally and physically to compete.”
“It definitely hurt a little bit to smell that stadium (St Andrews). Before that, I didn’t have a good result in the Women’s Open. I didn’t play very well.”
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Highlights of the final round of the 2024 AIG Women’s Open, where Lydia Ko achieved a narrow victory
“Being able to play in that weather and compete on a links golf course definitely gave me some motivation because I knew I could compete.”
When will the AIG Women’s Open be broadcast live on Sky Sports?
Sky Sports remains the exclusive home of the AIG Women’s Open in the UK and Ireland, with Featured Groups coverage for the first time and six more hours of live action on Sky Sports than ever before.
Featured group coverage begins at 9am on Sky Sports Golf on Thursday and Friday, starting at midday on weekends following the live coverage of rounds three and four, before full coverage begins at 1pm.
Who will win the AIG Women’s Open? Watch live on Sky Sports Golf seven days a week. Get Sky Sports or stream golf with no contract.
