HOUSTON — Nelly Korda has been free and easy all week. The world No. 2 gave it her all, tearing through Memorial Park en route to a six-stroke lead after 36 holes in the first major of the year.
Korda’s lead had grown to eight early Saturday, and it looked like a long coronation in the Chevron Championship was in store. But as is often the case with major championships, the heat literally heats up in Texas and the pressure mounts as the importance of the moment comes into focus. Korda made a mediocre bogey on the par-5 eighth, then missed short putts on the 13th and 14th, one for birdie and one for par. That left her struggling heading into the 15th tee.
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Korda, ranked No. 2 in the world, hit his tee shot just above the flag and was all smiles, but long-time caddy Jason McDide was already listening as he headed to the green.
“He just told me to keep going,” Korda said after the round. “There’s still a lot of golf left to play.”
Korda changed his way of thinking after not winning in 2025. She has focused on staying positive and believing that no matter what position she is in, she can win her game that day. This is much easier to do at the beginning of the week when your lead is widening and you feel like you can’t stop the game. However, when the pressure to win a major begins in earnest over the weekend, the lead shrinks, putters fail, and mental fortitude is required. Korda said he felt his concentration wavered after missing a key putt on the back nine and needed to readjust to keep it from affecting other parts of his game. Her lead had shrunk from eight to six to five, and her putts, which had been aimed toward the center of the cup all week, popped left and right as she approached the cup.
“I’m learning so much about myself,” Korda said, adding that he wants to keep going for birdies even if he doesn’t fall. “I still gave it my all, and at the end of the day, that’s the only thing I can control. I want to give it my all and do it to the best of my ability. Other than that, I don’t have any regrets.”
Nelly Korda knows what Sunday means. Despite his world-leading talent, Korda only has two major titles. That’s a surprising number for a player who has been by far the best player in women’s golf for the past few years. Korda won the KPMG Women’s Professional Golf Championship in 2021 and added Chevron in 2024. But the last few big memories when she was truly competitive left her with nothing but scars. She stumbled in the final round of the 2024 AIG Women’s Open, losing to Lydia Ko, and was unable to beat Maja Stark at last year’s U.S. Women’s Open.
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She is still waiting for number 3.
“We’re doing this to compete for a major championship on Sunday, right?” Korda said Saturday after shooting a 2-under 70 in the third round.
The significance of Sunday was clear for Nelly Korda. She spent 41 holes tearing up this course and building a massive lead. That leaves her with only two possible outcomes.
On Door No. 1, Nelly Korda puts the pedal to the metal and races across the finish line, proclaiming that after a frustrating season, she’s back as a major killer and the undisputed best player in the world. It would return her to world No. 1 and start a hype train heading into the one major Korda values above all else: the U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera. On Sunday, Nelly Korda would stumble at Door No. 2 and watch a massive lead evaporate in what would be a devastating collapse.
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“I’m going to focus on myself, work on my process, have tunnel vision and not focus too much on the outside noise,” Korda said of how he will approach his big Sunday.
The correlation between Korda’s Chevron week and Rory McIlroy’s Masters week is notable. Both the fan favorite and tour megastar established a tournament record of six strokes over 36 holes. McIlroy watched himself disappear by the 13th hole that Saturday at Augusta National. Afterwards, he went to the practice range and hit balls, trying to correct problems in his swing. Korda said he hadn’t watched McIlroy’s Masters at all and how McIlroy had other players return to the Masters before Sunday’s win. Although his lead didn’t dissolve Saturday like McIlroy did, Korda kept his media session short Saturday and matched the two-time Masters champion’s performance. She immediately entered the practice putting green and dropped three balls with McDade monitoring her every stroke. She moved around the cup alternately 5 feet, 8 feet, 10 feet, and then more. After each putt, she looked back at McDide, who was crouched down and watching the stroke and contact for feedback. After several missed long-distance putts, a brief discussion about her move ensued. Korda then rolled a few more to center and ended the day.
“At the end of the day, it’s a clean slate,” Korda said of Sunday. “The day starts from zero.”
But on Sunday of a major championship, whether it’s elation or heartbreak, Zero is miles away from the finish line.
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Nelly Korda won by a landslide in Houston this week. On Sunday, she will either become a three-time major champion or walk away with the trauma of a major championship that cannot be easily washed away.
All or ruin?
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