Nelly Korda took a break from the high-pressure golf that resulted in her excellent start on the LPGA and brought her back to No. 1 in the world.
For her third consecutive win on the LPGA, she had to overcome a two-shot deficit, surpass 15 players who started the final round within two shots of the lead, and play a 7-under-par 65 in the rain without making any bogeys.
It might not have been easy, but Korda made it seem that way.
After her two-shot victory in the Ford Championship outside of Phoenix, Korda mentioned that it was one of her least stressful wins.
She's right, considering her previous two victories.
In late January, Korda won in tough Florida conditions. Two weeks ago, she won in cold and windy conditions along the California coast.
Her swing coach, Jamie Mulligan, compared her latest win to a victory by Tiger Woods in terms of dominance, not as a direct comparison to Woods himself.
Mulligan suggested that her victory resembled the way Tiger Woods plays.
Mulligan described Korda's control during the win and compared it to Tiger Woods' playing style.
Korda's decision to lay up on the 300-yard 16th hole and her controlled approach to the green set up an inevitable lead for her.
Korda wasn't the only world No. 1 aiming for a third consecutive victory, as the major championship season was approaching.
Scottie Scheffler faced a tough battle at the Houston Open but missed a birdie putt on the final hole that could have forced a playoff.
Scheffler is now looking ahead to the Masters, where he is the favorite to win.
What's next for Korda?
On Sunday night, Korda was more focused on an almond croissant she had saved for the drive to Vegas than her recent achievements.
Dominance is not always about numbers.
Steve Williams, the longtime caddie for Woods, believed that Woods' best golf was not during his record-breaking seasons, but in the mid-2000s when he appeared to be on cruise control.
Woods won seven consecutive times on the PGA Tour from the middle of 2006 to the beginning of 2007, and only two of those victories were by five shots or more.
It’s too early to think about what Korda can do. Her swing is as good as any in golf, so smooth and athletic. She putts like she is very calm.
“She might have the best movement in the sport,” Mulligan said. “She’s an athlete making a difficult game look easy.”
And she is in good health, which is very important. After a successful 2021 where Korda won her first major and an Olympic gold medal, she had a blood clot in her left arm that needed surgery and disrupted most of her 2022 season. She missed a month in 2023 with back pain and didn't win on the LPGA, unable to get any momentum.
She has plenty of it now, not just because of how she is playing but her decision not to play.
Korda chose not to participate in the Asia swing on the LPGA, which spans seven weeks. Instead, she went to Prague for a vacation. She spent time with family and she focused on fitness in the gym.
“I enjoyed life outside of golf a little. Just disconnected,” Korda said. “To me, that was just like the perfect reset going into this busy schedule.”
Korda aims for her fourth consecutive win this week in the T-Mobile Match Play at Shadow Creek, a course she has never seen. Another win would give her the longest winning streak on the LPGA since Lorena Ochoa won four in a row in 2008.
Ochoa was simply dynamic. She won five out of six times to start the 2008 season by a combined 37 shots. The previous year, she won eight times by 23 shots.
Korda has made it far too exciting for her tastes. “Normal Nelly things,” she likes to call it. Right now that means winning, and it’s hard not to imagine her starting to soar.
