Nelly Korda wins FIFTH consecutive title (and second major)

There’s just no stopping Nelly Korda.

The women’s world No.1 held off a chasing pack including Maja Stark and Lauren Coughlin to win The Chevron Championship – her second major title and her fifth consecutive victory on the LPGA.

The 25-year-old closed with three-under 69 at The Woodlands in Texas to finish on 13-under-par and win by two from Solheim Cup star Stark.

It gives her a second major victory following her win in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in 2021.

“I can finally breathe now,” admitted Korda afterwards. “That back nine felt like the longest nine of my entire life. It was a little bit of a grind but I’m happy to get the win.

• Amateur hits one of the luckiest shots you’ll ever see at Chevron Championship

• Gallacher backs Tiger Woods for US captaincy

“I felt sick to my stomach on the back nine. It’s a major, it’s everything I’ve ever wanted since I was a little girl, to lift that major trophy and I can finally breathe now and enjoy the moment.

She added: “I honestly just take it a shot at a time. We pick a game plan when we get to the golf course and we work and we stay in our own little bubble. it’s been working so far.

“I feel like sometimes golf can get over-complicated but there’s a key to the simplicity of it.”

Korda joins an exclusive Nancy Lopez and Annika Sorenstam as the only players to win five times in a row. Incredibly, she’s the first American to win at least five times in a single LPGA season since Juli Inkster did it in 1999. She’s also the youngest player American player to win two women’s majors since Inkster in 1984.

• ‘I was so shocked!’ Amateur hero reveals all on awkward Masters moment

• The Masters TV ratings ring alarm bells for golf 

Her run began with a playoff victory over Lydia Ko at the LPGA Drive On Championship in January.

She added the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship and Ford Championship in March before defeating Leona Maguire 4&3 in the final of the T-Mobile Match Play a fortnight ago.

Win No.5, her 13th on the LPGA, earned Korda a cheque for $1.3million and consolidates her place as the most dominant player in the women’s game right now.

She will now go for six in a row at the JM Eagle LA Championship this coming week.

Michael McEwan is the Deputy Editor of bunkered and has been part of the team since 2004. In that time, he has interviewed almost every major figure within the sport, from Jack Nicklaus, to Rory McIlroy, to Donald Trump. The host of the multi award-winning bunkered Podcast and a member of Balfron Golfing Society, Michael is the author of three books and is the 2023 PPA Scotland 'Writer of the Year' and 'Columnist of the Year'. Dislikes white belts, yellow balls and iron headcovers. Likes being drawn out of the media ballot to play Augusta National.

Deputy Editor