By: Max Bechtoldt
Because of high expectations, and bad team results, many people underrate Nelly Korda as a Solheim Cup player. With this now being the third Solheim Cup that she is the face of the United States team, people expect a lot out of her. She has pretty consistently played well in the Solheim Cup, and it should be expected to continue this week.
This will be Korda’s fourth Solheim Cup appearance in a row. She got off to a hot start in her first playing in 2019, accumulating an undefeated record while pairing brilliantly with her sister Jessica. Since then, it has been a bit more mixed, but not weak. Korda has an overall record of 7-4-1 in Solheim Cup play. Unfortunately for her though, she has been a part of three losing teams.
Korda is particularly strong in foursomes, where I would expect her to play both sessions in 2024. She paired fantastically with Allisen Corpuz in 2023, going 2-0 in a grouping I would expect to see again. In four ball it has been a bit more of a mixed bag, but she has only played three matches in the format so expect her to only be out there once this time around. She is 2-1 in singles, notably being in the deciding match with Carlota Ciganda in 2023.
Of course, Korda’s season has been a mixed bag. Weird to say for the presumed Player of the Year. Korda won six out of her first eight events on the season before missing three cuts in a row. Korda has played a light schedule, but has bounced back well as of late. She showed signs of promise in the Paris Olympics, and nearly won the AIG Women’s Open, which would have been her second major of the year. She is ranked No. 1 in the Rolex Rankings and CME Standings.
Stacy Lewis has said that ball strikers should perform well at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, which should work to Korda’s advantage as one of the great ball strikers in women’s golf history. Korda ranks No. 1 this year in strokes gained tee-to-green and has shown an at times much improved ability on the greens.
If the United States wants to get the Solheim Cup back for the first time since 2017, Korda will likely have to play very well.
