With a sixth 2024 win at Mizuho Open, Nelly Korda proves she’s one of the most dominant athletes in the world

Nelly Korda proved last week at the Cognizant Founders Cup in Clifton, New Jersey, that she is perhaps human after all. She began that tournament by taking the lead, only to watch the very talented Rose Zhang surge ahead to win the tournament. Korda ended up seventh. Had she won, it would have been her record sixth successive tournament triumph. Instead, she continues to share the phenomenal five-in-a-row record with golfing legends Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez.

Korda ended up getting a sixth victory this year, about a month later, defeating Australia’s Hannah Green in thrilling, competitive fashion by one stroke at the Mizuho Americas Open at Liberty National Golf Course. It is her sixth win in seven starts, proving once again that 2024 is the year of Nelly Korda.

"Oh, my gosh, six," Korda said according to ESPN. "I can't even really gather myself right now with that, the head-to-head that Hannah and I had pretty much all day. Wasn't my best stuff out there today, but fought really hard on the back nine."

What the American golfer is achieving right now is not just impressive for golf, it is sensational for all of sport. With the win in Jersey City, Korda’s only the fourth player to win six titles in the first half of a year. The other three are all LPGA Hall of Famers: Babe Zaharias, Louise Suggs and Lorena Ochoa. The Mizuho title is the 25-year-old’s 14th win on the LPGA Tour.

The exciting conclusion to the tournament turned around an event that had been plagued by several withdrawals due to surprise illnesses and injury, including Cognizant winner Zhang, who left after playing three holes on the first day due to “really bad intestinal pain.”

However, the intense competition between Korda and Green more than made up for disappointment over any missed players, with the two going toe-to-toe on the back nine. As the final moments approached, Green and Korda engaged in one-upmanship play with each of them matching birdies on the same three holes until Green gave way to pressure and bogeyed the 18th, while Korda held her nerve to close out the win.

“I felt like when one of us hit it really close or could take advantage of something on the back nine, the other hit it close too and made the putt,” Korda said, according to golf.com. “It was just a battle until the 18th hole. You had to stay really patient out there and trust your game and that you’re going to hit good shots.”

The give-and-take between the two players is another example of their great rivalry. Korda’s also given us captivating moments with Lydia Ko as well, as the two of them demonstrated at the last Olympics, with Korda walking away with Gold while Ko took Silver. It’s a testament to Korda’s dominance that she’s determining the best rivalries right now since she’s the one to beat.

"I mean, to lose to Nelly kind of like is -- it's sad, but then it's also Nelly Korda," Green said. "You know, like she's obviously so dominant right now. To feel like second behind her is quite nice.”

Next up for the two-time major winner is the Women’s U.S. Open, taking place at the Lancaster Country Club in PA. If Korda wins in Lancaster, it would be her seventh victory this year. Is there any other athlete who is dominating in this fashion right now? Perhaps Caitlin Clark.

If there is a criticism of Korda, you can say she’s only won two majors. However, anything like that should be voiced with caution. Until last month, a few critics were saying she only had one major under her belt. Korda of course silenced that notion by accomplishing not only her fifth back-to-back title, she set that record at the site of her second major victory, the Chevron Championship.

“Obviously, it’s on the top of my priority list,” she said about heading to the U.S. Open. “I just know there is never any good when you put more pressure on yourself. Just going to stay in my bubble that week and take it a shot at a time.”

The Florida native has achieved this pinnacle after a tumultuous few years, serving as another example of the young golfer’s incredible resiliency.

“It’s a lot of fun,” Korda said. “For me, it’s more rewarding that all the hard work that I’ve put in, all the rollercoaster that I went through from the end of 2021 with my injuries to this year is just super-rewarding.”

The Women’s U.S. Open will take place in Lancaster beginning May 30.