Nelly Korda is coming into her personal. The 20-12 months-antique’s play of overdue has solidified her as the pinnacle American woman golfer, as she formally exceeded Lexi Thompson on Monday inside the Rolex World Rankings. Korda is No. 6 inside the state-of-the-art ranking, and Thompson is No. 9. Korda’s older sister, Jessica, is the next-highest ranked American at No. 12. Nelly moved up spots after completing T-2 on the Bank of Hope Founders Cup, one shot at the back of winner Jin Young Ko. Thompson did not play the event.
Nelly’s upward thrust has been consistent after having made her first massive appearance within the U.S. Women’s Open in 2013 as a 14-12 months-vintage. She cut a beginner and finished T-sixty four. After turning pro at age 18 in 2016, she performed a full season at the Symetra Tour, winning once and qualifying for the LPGA Tour for the 2017 season. She had five pinnacle-10 finishes in her rookie marketing campaign, after which a yr later claimed her first LPGA Tour win at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship remaining October.
Nelly has played 5 activities to date in 2019 and has completed in the pinnacle 10 in every, inclusive of a win at final month’s ISPS Handa Australian Women’s Open.
As for why Nelly is having her strongest season to this point, one stat jumps out: She’s ranked No. 1 in veggies in regulation. That’s a stark development from her No. 27 ranking in the same stat in 2018, and being listed ninety fifths within the category in 2017. Giving herself all of those birdie opportunities have ended in a soar in some crucial other stat for Nelly, as she’s No. 1 in birdies in 2019.
Another treasured thing of Nelly’s recreation that cannot be quantified is her determination. “My mother and father usually seek advice from me as the lion because I simply, you know, I see something and I move after it. I’m continually quite decided,” Nelly said in a press conference in February. “So I’ve always type of had that element, but I suppose simply gambling a lot of competitive golf, even at a younger age, it kind of builds it.”
The friendly, healthful competition among the sisters is specific to similarly fueled by Nelly becoming the pinnacle American.
“She’s one up on me [in wins] this 12 months, so I got to put my butt in tools,” said Jessica of competing with Nelly, at the same time as on the Bank of Hope Founders Cup. “It’s been so brilliant watching her. Just now not being able to play, to be out right here, simply seeing how she carries herself and how she represents herself has been brilliant.”
