Forget about the "post-major slump" – for Nelly Korda, it’s apparently just another excuse to collect more hardware. Fresh off her dominant performance at the Chevron Championship, she jetted off to Mayakoba and promptly added the Riviera Maya Open to her burgeoning trophy cabinet. Honestly, some people just can’t relax. Is it possible to win a major and then not win the very next week? Apparently, for Korda, that question is as foreign as a perfectly manicured fairway in a sand trap.
She snagged her third win of 2026, and in the three other events she’s entered this year, she’s managed to find herself in second place. That’s not a bad "off" season, is it? It’s easy to wonder if this is the absolute zenith of her golfing prowess. Is this the peak Nelly? She’d rather not say, and frankly, I’m not sure she even knows. "I'm just enjoying myself and I love the competition," she stated, a sentiment I imagine many of us would echo if we were also striking the ball with such effortless grace.
Last year was a bit of a head-scratcher. Korda was technically playing lights-out, her stats suggesting a season even better than her prolific 2024. Yet, the wins weren't quite flowing. She’s been candid about the paralysis of overthinking, admitting, "I was getting frustrated last year on the golf course and I started overanalyzing everything and I started overthinking, and then that was paralyzing me." A sentiment many of us can relate to, whether it’s sinking a tricky putt or deciding what to order for dinner.
Her strategic partnership with caddie Jason McDede seems to be hitting its stride. They recognized the need to recalibrate, to step back from the microscopic analysis. "We were like, yeah, last year wasn't easy," Korda admitted. "It was because I was overanalyzing absolutely everything. Sometimes there is a power in just letting go." And letting go she did in Mexico. Two bogeys over four rounds, the final one a dramatic adventure involving the woods, the gallery, and what I can only assume was a moment of profound acceptance.
This latest triumph places Korda in some rather esteemed company. She’s the first American woman to notch a win the week after conquering a major since Meg Mallon in 2004, and she's the youngest American to reach 18 LPGA victories since the legendary Nancy Lopez back in 1980. So, is it her best golf? Who cares! It’s undoubtedly extraordinary, and Korda, wisely, is embracing the "smell the roses" philosophy. After all, even a golf phenom needs a moment to breathe, or at least a few days of it, before diving back into the fray.