Nelly Korda reveals valuable life lessons ahead of historic U.S. Women’s Open

There is a lot to learn from watching Nelly Korda play golf.

Her swing is picture perfect, her tempo is perfect, and her ability to bounce back after mishits is incredible.

But she answered a question about expectations and priorities at the U.S. Women’s Open on Tuesday that struck a chord with people.

“Part of [expectations] “It’s frustrating. Obviously, I think in my position, there are going to be expectations,” Korda said.

“I don’t want to lose myself. I’m always going to stay true to myself, because at the end of the day when I go to sleep I need to be proud of who I am.”

Korda has won six of the last seven LPGA Tour events, including a win at the Chevron Championship, the first major of the season, and most recently at the Mizuho Americas Open, despite playing “C and D” games in the final round on Sunday.

So she has every reason to be proud of herself and her accomplishments this year: only Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez have done it before her.

She could even bask in her laurels, especially after her Met Gala appearance — and no one would blame her — but that’s not who she is.

Instead, Korda doesn’t care what other people think: she cares about herself, her happiness and her family. This is similar to what Scottie Scheffler has done throughout his career and historic 2024 season.

“For me, I have to give 100 percent every day, not just to golf, but to my family, my training and my life outside of golf,” Korda said.

“That’s the most important thing to me.”

Korda has a big life outside of golf too: she is very close with her family and often spends a lot of time with them.

Following his most recent win at Liberty National Racetrack, immediately following his victory press conference, Korda headed straight to the airport and boarded a flight home to fly directly to his family.

She also took a two-month break earlier this year.

That absence wasn’t due to injury: instead, she was spending time with her loved ones, traveling with them, and cherishing every moment.

“I like to get away and spend a lot of time with my family,” Korda added.

“Growing up, my parents instilled in us family values. Spending time with family and getting away from the outside world was really important to us.”

In the age of social media, people are constantly comparing each other (mostly for self-deprecating reasons), but we should all embrace Korda’s feelings.

She has no expectations of herself and moves at her own pace.

Dustin Satloff/USGA

She focuses on what she believes in: taking a holistic approach to life that places the family at the center.

But life is full of challenges, and anyone who has ever picked up a golf club knows that feeling.

With the weight of the LPGA now on her shoulders, Korda may soon be facing those challenges.

Before Korda emerged as the LPGA’s biggest star, people had high hopes for Michelle Wie West and Lexi Thompson, who pundits touted as future stars, but ultimately fell far short of expectations with just two major championship wins between them.

That’s not to say they failed: both players have had incredibly successful careers.

Their values ​​aren’t that different from Korda’s: Thompson also spoke about the importance of loved ones when she announced her retirement at the U.S. Women’s Open on Tuesday.

But it’s not easy to get noticed, especially in this day and age.

The lights are always on, the cameras are always rolling, and someone, somewhere, is always having an opinion or expectations of someone.

Perhaps that’s why Korda himself has none.

“You go into every week wanting to win but sometimes it feels unrealistic,” Korda explained.

“I don’t think I have any expectations. I just try to be very genuine and very honest with everyone around me, and hopefully they understand that I’m ultimately proud of who I am as a person. And I hope that’s how I grow my game.”

Listening to Korda’s words reveal a great deal of her character and dignity.

But it also sheds light on why she’s been so successful.

Who knows how many more trophies Korda will bring home to her family, a group of accomplished athletes.

But one thing is for sure: her values ​​speak for themselves: everyone should look to her not just as a barometer of course expectations, but as a moral compass that centers around the people who matter most: family.

Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation Playing Through. Follow For more golf articles, follow us on Twitter Jack Mirko In the same way.