U.S. Ladies’s Open: Nelly Korda unveils helpful life classes

You’ll be able to be taught lots from watching Nelly Korda play golf.

Her swing is picture-perfect. Her tempo, flawless. Her potential to bounce again after a mishit, additionally spectacular.

However she struck a chord on the U.S. Ladies’s Open on Tuesday, when she fielded a query about expectations and priorities.

“I don’t assume some [expectations] annoy me. I believe, clearly, with the place I’m in, there are going to be expectations,” Korda mentioned.

“I don’t need to lose who I’m. I’m going to all the time keep true to who I’m as a result of on the finish of the day once I fall asleep, I must be happy with who I’m.”

Korda has received six of her final seven occasions on the LPGA Tour, with one coming on the Chevron Championship, the season’s first main. She most just lately received on the Mizuho Americas Open, regardless of having her “C and D” sport throughout Sunday’s ultimate spherical.

So she has each motive to really feel happy with herself and her accomplishments this yr, which solely Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez have ever finished earlier than her.

Picture by Dia Dipasupil/Getty Photos

She may even bask within the glory of all of it, particularly on the heels of her Met Gala look. No person would blame her. However that isn’t who she is.

As a substitute, Korda doesn’t care what others assume. She cares about herself, her well-being, and her household—just like how Scottie Scheffler has operated all through his profession and historic 2024 season.

“For me, I want to present 100% of myself each single day to not simply my golf, my household, my exercises, and life exterior of golf,” Korda mentioned.

“That’s the primary factor for me.”

Korda has a life exterior of golf that she cherishes. She is shut along with her household, usually spending extended durations with them.

After her most up-to-date victory at Liberty Nationwide, instantly following her successful press convention, Korda went straight to the airport to catch a flight house—to get straight to her household.

She additionally took two months off earlier this yr.

That absence was not as a consequence of harm. As a substitute, she hung out along with her family members, traveled with them, and cherished each second.

“I like to get away and spend loads of time with my household,” Korda added.

“As a child, my mother and father actually instilled that household values and hanging round our household and simply disconnecting from the world has actually been essential to us.”

Within the age of social media, by which individuals evaluate one another to at least one one other on a regular basis—primarily for self-deprecating causes—everybody ought to embrace Korda’s sentiments.

She has no expectations of herself and goes at her personal pace.

Dustin Satloff/USGA

She focuses on what she believes in: having a holistic way of living that revolves round her household.

However life has its obstacles. Anybody who has ever picked up a golf membership can relate to that.

With the burden of the LPGA now on her shoulders, Korda might face these quickly sufficient.

Others definitely have earlier than. Earlier than Korda emerged because the LPGA’s greatest star, individuals positioned a tsunami of expectations on Michelle Wie West and Lexi Thompson. Pundits dubbed each prodigies as the celebrities of the longer term, however they went on to win a mixed two main championships, far lower than what anybody predicted.

That’s to not say that they failed. Each gamers had remarkably profitable careers.

Their values don’t differ drastically from Korda’s, both. Thompson even spoke concerning the significance of her family members on Tuesday when she introduced her retirement on the U.S. Ladies’s Open.

However being beneath the highlight isn’t any straightforward job, particularly in right this moment’s day and age.

The lights are all the time on, the cameras are consistently rolling, and any individual, someplace, all the time has an opinion and an expectation of another person.

Maybe that’s the reason Korda doesn’t have any herself.

“I’m going into each week desirous to win, however there’s a sense that generally that’s not real looking,” Korda defined.

“I don’t assume I’ve any expectations. I simply attempt to be very, very pure and really, very sincere with everybody round me, and I hope that they see that I’m happy with the individual that I’m on the finish of the day, and that’s how I hope that I develop the sport.”

Listening to what Korda mentioned speaks volumes about her character and dignity.

But it surely additionally sheds gentle on why she has had a lot success.

Who is aware of what number of extra trophies Korda will deliver house to her household, an completed set of athletes in their very own proper.

Nonetheless, one factor stays sure: her values converse for themselves. Everybody ought to look to her not as a barometer of expectations on the course however as a beacon of morals that revolve across the those who matter most: household.

Jack Milko is a golf employees author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By means of. You’ll want to take a look at @_PlayingThrough for extra golf protection. You’ll be able to comply with him on Twitter @jack_milko as effectively.