Nelly Korda: Managing Major expectations

This week it's the women's first Major of the season, The Chevron Championship. Headlining the field is World Number one Nelly Korda, who comes into it with huge expectations on her shoulders. The American enters the Major on a four title winning streak, looking to add a fifth win and second Major to her ever-growing accolades.

The only other player to come into a Major week off four wins was Annika Sorenstam in 2005, her four wins spanned the end of 2004 season into 2005. Sorenstam would win what is now The Chevron Championship by eight shots.

Will history repeat itself and how much is Nelly Korda feeling the pressure? At a press conference on Tuesday, she discussed how she is managing the expectations and her approach to this week's Major.

What's been that key to letting yourself go and letting yourself play loose and just have fun out on the golf course?

Honestly, having a really great team around me, having really great people, that really helps. I've always said that staying in my own little bubble really, really helps me. Not getting too distracted or lost in something that isn't really what I want to be lost in. There are always temptations to. So I have a really great team around me that keeps me really grounded, and they know me so well that I can say anything to them. Even through hard situations, they know what to tell me to make me bounce back.

Two consecutive weeks of major golf. Last week, Scottie Scheffler came in with so much expectation on his shoulder and has been dominant like you. Do you draw inspiration from what he achieved at Augusta last week?

I don't think anyone can ever say anything bad about Scottie. I love his morals, I love his attitude out there. I just love the way he goes about his business. He inspires so many around him, including myself.

Obviously, as he even said, he wants to win every tournament he tees it up in. That's every girl that's out here competing, too. I think that you just have to go about your business. You can get lost in the articles, lost in the expectations, but I think if you just stick to your true self, I feel like you can live in your own bubble and enjoy it a lot more.

Are you aware that expectation could be a burden, or do you treat it as an inspiration?

No, it's an inspiration. I'm hopefully inspiring the next generation and it promotes the game. Hopefully we continue to climb up.

Going on a winning run like you have done is rare in golf. How aware are you of what you're achieving right now?

In 2021 I went on a run, and then in 2022 and 2023 golf really humbled me. I think they're sports; there are ups and downs. Every athlete goes through the rollercoaster, and that is what makes the sport so great. You mature and grow so much and learn more about yourself. You never take these weeks for granted. You always try to appreciate and become very grateful for them. It makes just all the hard work so worth it. But I think I've learned so much about myself even through the losses.

What advice has your Dad given you in this unique stretch in your career?

Just to enjoy every second of it. Careers go by really fast and there are so many highs and lows in a career. To just be grateful about it all and very humble.

After three weeks of winning and just one week off last week, where is your energy level coming into this week?

Last week I was so tired. I don't think I've ever been that tired. I would wake up and I was ready to go back to bed but I couldn't. It's almost to the point where you just can't sleep; you're just overly tired. Made sure to prioritize any rest.

My parents are on top of me to not overdo it. I always want to practice more, do more to be better. So made sure to prioritize my rest and making sure to go to sleep early and sleeping a lot, too. That's the number one thing for recovery. Overall this week I feel really good.

You mentioned staying grounded by being around your team, them keeping you in the present moment. This week is possibly a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Rarely comes by on the LPGA. What is that challenge like to put that to the side and really try your best not to think about it?

I don't know. I think obviously, I'm so grateful and happy to be in this position that I could pull off four wins in a row. I feel like in sports you're always looking ahead, what's next, instead of like reminiscing on what has happened. So, again, I'm so grateful for my team that we all kind of like live in our own bubble that we take it a shot at a time. That's what I'm going to be thinking about.

In 2018, I was talking with Hollis Stacy on the green at Concession. I was out there putting, doing a drill, and she always comes up to me when she sees me out there. I was talking to her about like obviously that I haven't won on the LPGA Tour. She just said, when the time is right. So I just put that in my yardage book that week that I won in Taiwan at Swinging Skirts. I said, when the time is right it'll happen.

That made me very present and that made me think more of golf is a shot at a time, not to get too ahead of myself, and when the time is right it'll happen because I put in the work.

The Chevron Championship starts on April 18, Nelly Korda will be playing alongside defending champion Lilia Vu and Minjee Lee at 1:10pm (ET). Here's our guide to this week's Major - find out more.