Those words were from Nelly Korda. In July. Not at the end of her seven-win 2024 campaign, but rather at the end of a surprising summer streak of three consecutive missed cuts. But the thoughts also perfectly sum up the season for the 26-year-old American who dominated the LPGA like no player in more a decade. She wrapped up the tour’s Player of the Year honors well before the season was over and made history in the process, but not without a few bumps along the way.
Korda’s first victory came in her hometown of Bradenton, Fla., as she erased a three-shot lead with two holes remaining to top Lydia Ko in a playoff at the Drive On Championship. That triumph in February started a run of five consecutive wins over the next three months. One by one, Korda was unstoppable, taking the title at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship, the Ford Championship and the T-Mobile Match Play before capping it with the Chevron Championship in April, the second major title of her career.
The five straight Ws matched a feat only equaled by Annika Sorenstam (2004-05) and Nancy Lopez (1978). It ended three weeks later, at the Founders Cup, but a week after that Korda won the Mizuho Americas Open outside New York City, making it six wins in seven starts.
Then Korda’s season turned on a dime. With four majors in her next five LPGA starts, she missed three consecutive cuts. Starting with the U.S. Women’s Open—where Korda made a 10 on a par 3—she looked like a different player. The putts didn’t drop. She didn’t hit as many fairways and greens. Bigger numbers piled up. She was human after all.
Korda shot 80-70 at Lancaster Country Club. Two weeks later, she shot 76-67 at the Meijer LPGA Classic. The next week she opened with a 69 at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Sahalee and looked more in form. But she shot 81 in Round 2 to have the weekend off. The round included eight bogeys, a double bogey and a birdie on the last hole.
“It’s just golf recently for me,” she said. “No words for how I’m playing right now. I’m just going to go home and try to reset. A lot went my way at the beginning part of the year, and just giving it back.”
The remainder of the year turned positive, save for an injury speed bump. Following the three missed cuts, Korda tied for 26th at the Evian Championship, shot a final-round 75 to tie for 22nd at the Olympics and had a chance to win the AIG Women’s Open, settling for a second-place tie behind Ko, who qualified for the LPGA’s Hall of Fame two weeks earlier when she won Olympic gold.
