“There’s not much grace in my game” - Nelly Korda compares her Mizuho Americas Open winning game to tennis superstar Rafael Nadal
Nelly Korda has admitted to being a fan of tennis superstars Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. The 25-year-old golfer, daughter of 1998 Australian Open tennis champion Petr Korda, is a religious follower of the two big players. However, she has now admitted that her Mizuho Americas Open winning round was more inspired by Nadal than Federer.
Ahead of the final round on Sunday, Korda spoke about the Tennis stars being her idols. The World No. 1 golfer noted that she was maintaining a strong mentality to continue with ‘full effort and commitment,’ qualities she learned from her idols.
Following the win on Sunday, Korda said that her game was “definitely way more Nadal.” She said her game did not have “much grace,” but had a “lot of fight out there.” She went on to detail her fight with runner-up Hannah Green.
Replying to a query on the impact of having Nadal and Federer as idols in her game, Nelly Korda said in her winner’s press conference (at 10:11):
“Definitely way more Nadal today versus Federer. There's not much grace in my game, there's a lot of fight out there with it being head to head battle all the way down 18 and that's what makes sports so great, that even though you don't have your best stuff, you can still grind it out. You feel the adrenaline, you feel all the feelings going down 18.
"I felt sick to my stomach coming down 18 because I knew that it was a tight battle. I mean we were both (her and Green) tied at the top and it was a tough tee shot coming down 18, just a tough hole in general. I think that there's no greater thing than to kind of battle it out when you don't have your best thing best stuff."
Furthermore, Korda went on to state that winning big rounds based on mentality despite “not having your best stuff” is “special.”
Nelly Korda takes 6th win of the year at Mizuho Americas Open
Nelly Korda came into the Mizuho Americas Open 2024 after five wins from six events. Returning from a T7 finish at the Cognizant Founders Cup, the LPGA star turned her form around to win again this weekend. She bagged $450,000 for securing her sixth victory of the season.
Korda started the final round on Sunday with a two-shot lead. However, three bogeys and one birdie on the front nine saw her on par with Hannah Green. She found her form and the Aussie failed to impose a playoff.
Korda’s level-par 71 saw her win on 14 under and finish with a one-stroke lead over Green. The American golfer took down the Australian after a strong fight at the Liberty National Golf Course in Jersey City.
Notably, this was Nelly Korda's 14th win on the LPGA Tour. With the win, she also became the first American to win six or more tournaments in a single season.