World No. 1 Nelly Korda made a surprising revelation after playing nine holes with Caitlin Clark on Wednesday morning.
She suffered a neck injury about two months ago that forced her to miss two events other than the LPGA's Asian Swing in South Korea and Malaysia. But she really wanted to team up with Clark to compete in the final two tournaments of the season in her hometown of Florida.
“I really, really wanted to play this week, so in a way I probably rushed my rehab for these two tournaments,” Korda revealed on Wednesday.
“Just a lot of rehab. I actually didn't play much golf.”
Korda hasn't played since the Kroger Queen City Championship in September, the week after he helped Team USA win the Solheim Cup. Unbeknownst to anyone at the time, Korda suffered from migraines that plagued her during those two weeks in Virginia and Cincinnati. No one would have been able to tell from her play, but Korda said Wednesday that the only way to ease the pain was to sleep in a dark room.
She also believes those headaches led to her neck injury.
“Thankfully, I'm not in pain anymore. I was feeling a little better, so I didn't hit for a while. But I did a lot of rehab,” Korda said.
“Every week will take more time, but we hope to be ready next week.”
Next week's CME Group Tour Championship concludes the 2024 LPGA season, most memorable for Korda's incredible play. She captivated the entire sports world this spring with six championships, including five in a row. But since then, she's had her fair share of struggles, close calls, and now a neck injury, so while her 2024 campaign featured some of the greatest highs, it also featured plenty of lows.
“It’s been a blur,” Korda said of this season.
“My job is, in some ways, like the love of my life. Well, I love golf. I love being here. I love inspiring the next generation. I hope you can take some time to think about everything that's happened this year. It's good to take a step back every once in a while and take a little time for yourself. Just keep your head down and try, because at the end of the day, you're trying to perform.”
However, Korda performed so well throughout the year that she became the face of the LPGA. Thankfully for her and golf fans around the world, she is healthy again. Still, hopefully her “rushed” rehabilitation won't backfire and instead bring her back into contention.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through. Be sure to check it out @_PlayingThrough Cover more golf. You can follow him on Twitter @jack_milko In the same way.
