Nelly Korda comes into the Ford Championship with major FOMO (fear of missing out) as she’s the only member of the family not in Florida watching brother Sebastian take on Novak Djokovic on Wednesday night in the quarterfinals of the Miami Open.
World No. 1 Korda is instead back in the Phoenix area this week as defending champion of the Ford, though it’s being held over a different course than where she won last year.
“It’s so funny, I usually watch it on Tennis TV or on TV, but live scoring is always ahead of it,” said Korda, “so I watch the live scoring while I’m watching him because I want to know the outcome of the point before the point happens.
“I’m always like a nervous wreck when I watch him.”
The Ford marks the first time the top 10 players in the world are competing in the same field this season, and with Korda only playing twice so far this season, her month-and-a-half break certainly feels like a second offseason for the American star.
“I mean, it’s always nice to take time off where you’re not injured and you’re kind of trying to hopefully become better and catch up on maybe some lost time,” she said.
The field of 144 players will compete for a $2.25 million purse at Whirlwind Golf Club’s Cattail Course, which has a history of producing low scores.
Korda once flirted with a 59 at the Tokyo Olympics before ultimately settling for a 62.
“I came pretty close at the Olympics,” said Korda, “then I doubled my last one. It was like starting to creep into my head and I was like, yeah, I don’t even think about it, no.”
Only one player in LPGA history has shot 59, and that was Annika Sorenstam at Moon Valley Country Club in Phoenix 24 years ago.
“I think that’s kind of like the trend of golf here in Arizona,” said Korda. “I mean, the weather is usually perfect. The grass is usually perfect as well.
“So that all sets up for low scoring ability, and then it’s hot, so it flies really far. So the par 5s are pretty reachable.”
At this event last year, Korda came in off a victory at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship at Palos Verdes, California, which was canceled this year, and in the mist of what would ultimately become a five-tournament victory streak. The 2024 Ford Championship marked her third consecutive title, and while she hasn’t won this year, Korda certainly has a history of winning after long breaks, having done it twice last season.
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