Nelly Korda: "It's a beast of a golf course"

Nelly Korda is the woman of the moment in women's professional golf, coming into this week after six wins in eight starts this season, one of those a Major after claiming The Chevron Championship last month.

As she prepares to go for Major number two this year, she spoke about how the course is going to play tough for players, visually, mentally and physically, how she feels about her game and what this Major week's U.S. Women's Open Presented by Ally means for women's professional golf.

Knowing your game is in great shape coming into this big week, where is your mindset?

I've definitely played some really solid golf. Had a week off last week. This golf course is a beast. Off the tee, if you don't hit it into the fairways, it sinks down into the rough. These greens are small and very, very undulated.

I didn't get to play in 2015, but it's a beast of a golf course.

Tell us why you say that, and are there certain holes that have made an impression on you?

It just tests every aspect of your game. It's tight off the tee. Visually it looks so much shorter than it is. There's bunkers that visually you see that you think you're going to carry that you end up maybe ten yards short of.

Visually the golf course is tough as well as, if you're in the rough and you miss the fairways, the greens are very small and very slopey, and the rough is thick around the greens too.

I think they've cut the grass around the greens so that, with the false fronts, it comes all the way down to the back where it's a little thicker. So it's just going to test every part of your game, even your mental game because it's a Major championship.

What have you noticed most about the course?

One thing I noticed yesterday is how long of clubs I had into the holes too. As a longer player on this Tour, I would say I tend to take advantage of the par-5s, but I think all the par-5s are going to be three-shot holes this week.

It's just going to be tough. No matter if you hit it higher or if you're longer, I feel like the key out here this week is just hitting it straight. It doesn't matter if you're short or long.

Whenever you're playing well and swinging well like you have been this year, what is the key to sustaining that success?

I've had Jamie or Brett out here almost every single week. The only week that I haven't had someone out was during Cognizant, and I just didn't really hit it that well that week.

So making sure that my team is taking time for me as well and coming out and making sure that we're all dedicated to each other has kind of really been the thing that has changed this year, because every event that I've been to and I've played in, I've had a coach there.

Your last win at Mizuho, you said you felt like you won even with your C or D game. What was the disconnect, do you think, that week?

It's funny, golf is just such a hard game. Like the first two days felt good with my swing, and then you don't even know what happens. You feel like maybe a little disconnect from your swing or just your putting or your feel in a sense. It just felt completely different on the weekend.

My game, just the way I felt hitting shots and the way I executed my putts as well. I think that's what makes this game so great, is just you can be on top of the world the first two days, and then you wake up and you're like, what am I doing right now? Why am I hitting it sideways? And you have no idea what's going on.

I get a sense your own expectations aren't necessarily results oriented; or are they?

Obviously, I go into every week wanting to win, but there is a sense that sometimes that's not realistic. For me, I need to give 100 percent of myself every single day to, not just my golf, my family, my workouts, life outside of golf. For me, that's the number one thing for me.

You spoke a few weeks ago about TV partners in women's golf becoming more involved. What is the responsibility now for the players this week to deliver for the TV partners?

I think our responsibility is to go out and play golf, to hopefully put on a show for everyone, and to go out there and perform our best golf. Hopefully that brings in the audience.

I know there's expectations from players, and I think that our number one priority should be to go out there, enjoy our time on the golf course, and grow the game playing good golf.

There's so much attention on the growth spurt of women's sports, soccer, basketball. Do you get a sense golf is getting enough attention considering its history, the amount of prize money etc? Is anything holding it back? Can you put your finger on what it might be?

I don't know that I could really put my finger on what it could be. I think what we want is an increase every single year from viewership, from sponsors, and from people around us interested in the game of golf. Not just women's golf, but obviously in general the game of golf.

I don't really have an answer for you there, but I do know that it has been growing every single year, and I think that's what we should focus on, the positivity of that.

Here's all you need to know about the 2024 U.S. Women's Open Presented by Ally - find out more.