Nelly Korda's Early Prep Ahead of Tough Week Might Not Be What You Expect
MENLO PARK, CA - MARCH 22: Nelly Korda of the United States walks to the fourth tee during the final round of the LPGA, Golf Damen Fortinet Founders Cup on March 22, 2026 at Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club in Menlo Park, CA. Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire GOLF: MAR 22 LPGA Fortinet Founders Cup EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2603222584
MENLO PARK, CA - MARCH 22: Nelly Korda of the United States walks to the fourth tee during the final round of the LPGA, Golf Damen Fortinet Founders Cup on March 22, 2026 at Sharon Heights Golf & Country Club in Menlo Park, CA. Photo by Matthew Huang/Icon Sportswire GOLF: MAR 22 LPGA Fortinet Founders Cup EDITORIAL USE ONLY Icon2603222584
Nelly Korda is demonstrating that perhaps the best way to conquer a beast on the golf course is to avoid it altogether, at least for the time being.
Just a day after a tough showing at the Ford Championship, where she finished in an impressive second place with a score of -26, the world number two is making an unusual decision to go into isolation rather than practicing.
"Tomorrow I'm just going to take a day off. I'm not even going to go look at the golf course." She admitted that she is unconventionally preparing for the Aramco Championship.
The unusual confession was made in an interview following her last round at Whirlwind Golf Club, where she completed 72 holes of desert golf on bumpier greens, finishing on a positive note.
LPGA, Golf Damen Ford Championship Nelly Korda putts the ball on hole 16 during the LPGA Ford Championship first round at Whirlwind Golf Club, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Chandler, Arizona. Thomas Fernandez / Image of Chandler Arizona United States EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xThomasxFernandezxPhotographyx ThomasxFernandezx iosphotos402753
LPGA, Golf Damen Ford Championship Nelly Korda putts the ball on hole 16 during the LPGA Ford Championship first round at Whirlwind Golf Club, Thursday, March 26, 2026, in Chandler, Arizona. Thomas Fernandez / Image of Chandler Arizona United States EDITORIAL USE ONLY Copyright: xThomasxFernandezxPhotographyx ThomasxFernandezx iosphotos402753
Although Korda recorded two eagles on Sunday, she was fully aware of the mental and physical fatigue of the week, as a result of which she made it clear that she needed to totally reset before facing the next hurdle, which was in stroke play.
She intends to hold off until Tuesday to begin her evaluation of the new course, saying, "Then assess starting Tuesday and kind of pick a game plan and go from there."
Finding the Edge Through Frustration
Korda's unorthodox strategy of resting stems from the belief that her mentality is the most dominant aspect of her game, even when her performance begins to fluctuate.
"I'm a human being, so I'm going to get down, and I'm going to get a little frustrated. But I'm trying to get over that as fast as possible," she candidly admitted.
This mental strength stands out in stark contrast to this time last year, when Korda felt so weird with a game that seemed to go against her.
"I've put in a lot of work, and that's the best thing about golf is that you can always improve, and you can have someone like Hyo Joo that's going to test you and push your buttons, but in a really good way to improve," she added.
By deliberately putting her golf clubs away for a day, Korda prepares herself to start the round with gratitude and determination to keep the remarkable upward trajectory.
What do you think about her approach?
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Written by
Abhishek Sharma
Edited by
Joyita Das