THE WOODLANDS, Texas — All eyes are on World No. 1 Nelly Korda as the LPGA stages its first major of the season. Korda looks to become only third player in LPGA history to win five consecutive starts, joining Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sorenstam (2005).
Korda’s streak began in her hometown at the LPGA Drive On event in Bradenton, Florida, and then, after a seven-week break from the tour, she won three events in the span of three weeks. The tour took last week off during the Masters Tournament.
Korda was asked during a pre-tournament press conference at The Club at Carlton Woods how aware she is of the history she’s made and what’s at stake.
“In 2021 I won’t on a run, and then in 2022 and 2023 golf really humbled me,” she explained. “I think in 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.”
As Korda looks to become the first player to win a major title while holding the No. 1 ranking since Lydia Ko won this event in 2016, 131 other players have their own stories in motion. Here are five storylines to watch beyond Korda-mania at the Chevron Championship:
So Yeon Ryu of South Korea poses with the trophy after winning the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open at The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, Colorado. (Photo: Harry How/Getty Images)
Two-time major winner So Yeon Ryu, 33, will say farewell to the LPGA after this week. A former No. 1 player in the world, Ryu turned professional at age 17 and burst onto the worldwide stage when she won the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open at The Broadmoor East Course in Colorado Springs, Colorado, in a three-hole aggregate playoff over fellow South Korean Hee Hyung Seo. She joined the tour the following season.
Ryu, who also won the 2017 ANA Inspiration, said being home nine months during the pandemic got her thinking about the next chapter of life.
“I never knew I could have that kind of stable life,” said Ryu. “I’m not saying my life was bad. I really enjoyed the travel for a while, but when you travel for like 20 years you just can get exhausted. I always feel so happy that I don’t need to pack or worry about what time is my flight, how I’m going to get a rental car kind of stuff.”
As for what’s next, Ryu said she has an interest in golf course architecture and wants invest in the future of the game. She tees off at 8:10 a.m. local time on Thursday alongside Jin Young Ko and Patty Tavatanakit.
Angela Stanford takes a selfie with the Evian Championship Trophy in 2018 at Evian Resort Golf Club. Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images
Angela Stanford will tee it up in her 98th consecutive major championship this week. The 46-year-old, who is playing this week on a sponsor exemption, needs two more starts to join Jack Nicklaus as the only golfers to reach 100 consecutive majors.
Stanford’s streak started at the 2002 McDonald’s LPGA Championship and extends through last year’s AIG Women’s British Open. During that stretch of 97 majors, Stanford made 66 cuts and posted 14 top-10 finishes. The seven-time LPGA winner has a 36-hole qualifier next week for the U.S. Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club. If she doesn’t qualify, Stanford hopes to receive a special exemption.
“You know, even if it wasn’t me, I would still want one of our players to cross the line,” said Stanford. “Like I wouldn’t care who it was. I would want an LPGA player to get to 100, because I think it is going to be a historical once-in-a-lifetime kind of deal.”
Atthaya Thitikul smiles on the 11th tee during the second round of the 2023 CME Group Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club in Naples, Florida. (Photo: Michael Reaves/Getty Images)
Atthaya Thitikul makes her first start of the LPGA season this week after experiencing pain in the tendon of her left thumb upon impact. A doctor advised Thitikul, 21, to rest for several months before making her return.
The 2022 Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year and 2023 Vare Trophy winner hopes had hoped to get back on tour in March at the Ford Championship in Gilbert, Arizona, but ultimately needed more time.
“I have to change my grip because of injury and also, you know, have a little bit of figuring out my swing,” she said during a pre-tournament press conference.
Not being able to hit a golf ball for several months reminded the two-time winner how much she loves the game.
“I’m still hungry for be able to be here,” she said, “hungry for the win, hungry for everything still in my career.”
Lydia Ko of New Zealand poses with the trophy after winning the 2024 Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions at Lake Nona Golf & Country Club in Orlando. (Photo: Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
Lydia Ko missed the cut at last year’s Chevron Championship and hasn’t won a major in eight years. But a win at the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions and playoff loss to Korda at the LPGA Drive On the next week puts her back in the conversation every week. Now one point shy of the 27 needed to qualify for the LPGA, Ko has only one finish outside the top 20, a share of 34th at the HSBC Women’s World Championship.
With so much focus on Korda coming into this week’s event, the pressure isn’t as strong on Ko as it was at the start of the year.
“I feel more comfortable playing the (Club at Carlton Woods) second time around,” said Ko, “and I think sometimes when you go to a golf course that you haven’t played before and you don’t play well, you don’t have a lot to gauge from.
“But it might be a good thing, and I’m hoping to make some more great memories here and hopefully a lot of people can come out and watch us play.”
Lottie Woad kisses the winner’s trophy after winning the 2024 Augusta National Women’s Amateur at Augusta National Golf Club. (Photo: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Sports)
Florida State’s Lottie Woad sent an email to her professors letting them know that she’d won the Augusta National Women’s Amateur and would be headed to an LPGA major.
“I hope you can excuse me,” she wrote.
The Englishwoman, who birdied three out of the last four holes to win at Augusta National, is one of four amateurs in the field at the Chevron, and while she has no set goals for the week, she’s enjoying an up-close view of players she’s long watched on TV. Her putting coach also works with England’s Charley Hull, and they snapped a picture together.
Woad said it was cool how many pros reached out on social media to say they’d watched and offer congrats.
“There is a picture on Instagram of Justin Rose in front of the TV like with me holing the putt,” she said. “He’s definitely one of my idols, so seeing him watching it and supporting me was really cool.”