Nelly Korda plays down hopes for LPGA Tour history bid after ‘dream’ Met Gala appearance | Golf News
Nelly Korda insists she has hardly thought about the chance to make history by
winning an unprecedented sixth straight event on the LPGA Tour.
The 25-year-old returns to action in this week’s Cognizant Founders Cup in New Jersey having attended the Met Gala in New York on Monday, where she became the first golfer since Tiger Woods to attend the star-studded event.
Korda described attending the Met Gala – where celebrities from across sport, showbiz and fashion appear – as a “dream come true”, but continues to appear somewhat reluctant to be pushed into the spotlight as the face of women’s golf.
After winning in four of his last five starts, Scottie Scheffler was asked about Nelly Korda’s five straight wins on the LPGA Tour and suggested that her achievements are currently more impressive than his own.
“I’m just out here doing what I love and hopefully that’s what grows the game naturally,” Korda told reporters on Wednesday. “I’m not trying to push anything. I hope that people see me for who I am and I love this game and doing it naturally.
“At the end of the day I think if you perform well in your sport that’s what grabs people’s attention. I’m not the type of person that tries to push anything or does anything I’m not really comfortable with. So I hope that I just do it naturally and that catches people’s attention.”
Just days after the Miami Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton hit the red carpet of the Met Gala amongst other sporting superstars.
Speaking about the experience, Korda added: “It was so, so crazy. You’re standing in line ready to get on the carpet and you’re like seeing all these people you usually watch in TV shows or movies and they’re like famous singers and you’re star-struck the entire time.
“It’s the best people watching for me. I was just silent looking at everyone’s dresses. I would say like I saw Shakira and I just love Shakira. She’s so beautiful. Then Jaden Smith was really, really nice. He was the first person to say hello to me and introduce himself. Everyone was really amazing.”
Can Korda make LPGA Tour history?
Korda claimed her second major title and fifth straight victory in the Chevron Championship last month, equalling the record set by Nancy Lopez in 1978 and matched by Annika Sorenstam (2004-05).
When asked whether she is confident of extending the winning streak this week, Korda said: “If I’m being honest, I have not thought about it at all because I’ve had so much going on these two weeks. On Monday I had The Met, so haven’t had too much time to think about it.
Highlights from day four of the The Chevron Championship in Texas.
“My track record hasn’t been the greatest in New Jersey. Last year missed the cut and we played KPMG here last year too and that was a nice missed cut as well. I’m really just trying to keep it one shot at time, see how it goes.
“This golf course is tough. It’s very, very narrow off the tee. The rough is very penalising. And it’s wet this year, so it’s even worse. So just not getting too ahead of myself and taking it a shot at a time. As boring as it sounds or as many times as you’re going to hear me say it, that’s the motto and I’m going to stick to it.”
Speaking on the Sky Sports Golf Podcast, Jamie Spence and Alex Perry discuss the current dominance of Nelly Korda and Scottie Scheffler and whether or it is a good thing for golf
Will Nelly Korda continue her winning streak? Watch the Cognizant Founders Cup this week live on Sky Sports. Live coverage begins on Thursday from 8pm via the red button on Sky Sports Golf. Stream the PGA Tour, DP World Tour, majors and more with NOW.
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