World No. 1 Nelly Korda arrives at The Club at Carlton Woods this week. She plans to defend her title at the 2025 Chevron Championship, the LPGA Tour's first major of the season.
Korda, 26, had a remarkable year in 2024. She won seven tournaments, including five in succession last spring. That stretch included her victory at the Chevron Championship. She earned the Rolex Player of the Year award for her efforts.
"What I achieved last year, no one can take that from me," Korda said this week. "That’s always going to be such a great memory, but it’s a fresh week and a fresh mindset."
Her form this year has not matched her dominating play of a season ago. Korda finished second in January's Tournament of Champions. She posted another top-10 the following week. Her results have been middle-of-the-pack in recent events leading up to the major.
The LPGA Tour event offers a $8 million purse. The field includes 10 of the top 10 players in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings. In total, 24 of the top 25 players are competing this week. This includes 2023 champion Lilia Vu and Olympic gold medalist Lydia Ko.
Korda felt her iron play improved last week at the LA Championship. She finished tied for 16th there. Korda stated her putting has not performed as well this year.
She will need a strong putting performance this week. The Chevron Championship field features top talent. Fans can watch the event on various platforms. ESPN+ will stream featured group coverage beginning Thursday morning.
Television coverage is available throughout the week. LPGA broadcasts stream live in some countries. US viewers can find coverage on Golf Channel and NBC. Peacock also provides streaming access.
Korda remains optimistic about her game. She has faced similar challenges before. She believes consistent effort will yield positive results.
"Just need my putter to click a little bit more to make those putts," she said. "I think that’s where it’s been lacking, is the putts that I was making last year I’m just not making as many this year."
