Nelly Korda believes a Charley Hull victory at the AIG Women’s Open would be ‘great for golf’ but is eyeing her own fresh major success at Royal Lytham & St Annes.
Korda is the pre-tournament favourite to claim a record-equalling third major of the season, having already won the Chevron Championship and US Women’s Open during an impressive campaign.
The US Women’s Open success saw her claim a one-shot win over Gaby Lopez and Hull, who now has five runner-up finishes in majors – including two in the last three years at the AIG Women’s Open – without the elusive breakthrough victory.
Highlights from the US Women’s Open, where Nelly Korda claimed an impressive victory and Charley Hull missed out
Hull said ahead of the final major of the year that it ‘hurt’ to have suffered so many near-misses, with Georgia Hall still the last English female major champion in 2018, but Korda remains impressed by her contending so frequently.
“That’s sometimes how she goes – it’s about putting yourself in that position [to contend],” Korda explained in her pre-tournament press conference.
“You can’t control what others are doing, but she [Hull] is doing something right to always be there, be relevant and be in the hunt.
Speaking ahead of the AIG Women’s Open, Charley Hull claims she doesn’t see Nelly Korda as her rival due to the fact she’s yet to lift a major title
“It’s kind of like Sam Burns [in the men’s game]. He’s been in the hunt a lot during major championships and hasn’t got it done. Eventually he will. You can’t get discouraged – it has to be encouraging.
“She [Hull] is such a great personality. I think it would be great for her to do it [win a major] on home soil, too. She’s an amazing player with a funny personality – I enjoy playing with her any time.
“I think it would be great for the game of golf.”
‘Authentic’ Korda pushes for more major success
Hull described Korda’s impressive campaign – including four worldwide wins – as ‘unbelievable’ for the game of golf, with the world No 1 having to deal with additional pressures during her dominant periods in the sport.
“I think that I’m at a stage in my career and at a stage where I’m just going to be myself,” she added. “If people don’t like it, that’s fine. If that inspires the next generation, that’s great – that’s what I would like.
“No one is going to make me go this direction, that direction. I’m going to go the direction I want and be very authentic. I feel like when I’m not it drains my battery a lot, doing what I don’t want to do.
“I feel like I’ve kind of figured it out where I’m like ‘okay, I enjoy doing this’ or ‘I’m going to say yes to this because that’s what I want to do’. If that grows the game and makes people watch me, I think that’s great. But I have had to learn that.”
Korda had posted 10 consecutive top-eight finishes worldwide until a shock missed cut at the Amundi Evian Championship earlier this month, snapping a 34-event cut streak stretching back nearly two years.
Nelly Korda made a bogey at the par-four 17th at the Amundi Evian Championship, as the world No 1 missed the cut by a shot
“Evian is just a funky golf course,” Korda explained. “I didn’t play that bad actually, if I’m being honest. It’s golf – just because you’re playing well, it doesn’t mean you’re invincible and you’re going to make every cut and be in the top 10 every single week.
“There will be weeks you just don’t have it and that’s the reality of it. I feel like I’ve done this long enough where I’ve missed enough cuts that it’s just about the bounce-back.”
Korda failed to contend at last year’s AIG Women’s Open, having finished runner-up to Lydia Ko in the previous edition, while a victory this week would see her confirm her place in the LPGA Hall of Fame and complete the career Grand Slam.
Can Korda become the first player since Inbee Park in 2013 to win three majors in a calendar year
“Any time I’m in contention at a major and I sniff the title, I’m going to be a little emotional,” Korda admitted about narrowly missing out in 2024. “That’s why we get up early in the morning and grind on our game, mentally, physically, to be in contention.
“To sniff it at that venue [St Andrews] obviously hurt a little bit. Before then I didn’t have the best outcomes at the Women’s Open – I didn’t really play too well.
Highlights from the final round of the 2024 AIG Women’s Open, where Lydia Ko held on for a narrow victory
“To be able to play in that weather and be in contention on a links golf course was definitely a little bit motivating, because I knew that I could contend.”
When is the AIG Women’s Open live on Sky Sports?
Sky Sports remains the exclusive home of the AIG Women’s Open in the UK and Ireland, with Featured Groups coverage available for the first time and six hours more of live action on Sky Sports than ever before.
Featured Groups coverage begins at 9am on Thursday and Friday on Sky Sports Golf, ahead of full coverage getting under way at 1pm, with live coverage of rounds three and four then beginning at midday over the weekend.
Who will win the AIG Women’s Open? Watch throughout the week live on Sky Sports Golf. Get Sky Sports or stream golf and more with no contract.
