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Early on in Beth Daniel’s profession, Mickey Wright mentioned in a press convention that for those who suppose Nancy Lopez is nice, wait till you see Beth Daniel. Wright’s phrases, although flattering, weighed closely on Daniel, who joined the LPGA in 1979, one 12 months after Lopez received 9 occasions as a rookie and was instantly hailed as a rival. It’s the explanation Daniel is cautious together with her phrases about present LPGA gamers.
Now that Nelly Korda is within the midst of a dominating streak, Daniel is comfy saying that that is what everybody anticipated of her all alongside.
“However you hate to place that on any person,” she shortly added.
Korda, 25, comes into the LPGA’s first main of the season, this week’s Chevron Championship, on a streak of 4 consecutive titles. She took a seven-week break after successful her first title of the season, the LPGA Drive On, in her hometown of Bradenton, Florida, after which received three titles within the span of three weeks. The LPGA was off final week in the course of the Masters.
Nelly Korda holds up 4 fingers for her fourth win in a row after successful the 2024 T-Cell Match Play at Shadow Creek in Las Vegas. (Picture: Orlando Ramirez/Getty Photographs)
The ladies’s sport hasn’t seen a participant win 4 consecutive begins since Lorena Ochoa received 4 in 4 weeks in 2008. Korda is the primary participant to enter a significant coming off 4 wins in consecutive begins since Annika Sorenstam did so between the top of the 2004 season and the beginning of 2005.
“Gosh, I can’t even wrap my head round it truthfully,” mentioned Korda within the aftermath of her twelfth profession LPGA title on the T-Cell Match Play at Shadow Creek, the place the climate was so brutal the minimize for the stroke-play portion fell at 9 over.
Main champion Karen Stupples has lined Korda’s streak as a part of the printed crew for Golf Channel and marvels on the adversity the younger American has overcome, successful two of these titles in a playoff (forcing one with an eagle-birdie end) with difficult climate and match play thrown in.
“What we’re seeing now,” mentioned Stupples, “is there’s much more self-belief. She trusts that she’s going to win.”
When Lopez received 5 consecutive begins throughout that magical rookie season in 1978, she thrived off the eye. Lopez felt like she was driving on a cloud.
“Each participant is totally different,” mentioned Lopez, “however, for me, it was a blessing for me to be comfy like that.”
Lopez’s expertise within the highlight stands in stark distinction to what Daniel felt when she’d get on a scorching streak. As Lopez pushed tougher, Daniel backed off, overwhelmed by the eye.
It was in a approach, Daniel admitted, a type of self-sabotage. When her sport bought too far down, she’d persuade herself to battle again.
“I went out on tour principally to see how good I may very well be and to play golf,” mentioned Daniel, who received 33 occasions on the LPGA. “I didn’t wish to do all the opposite stuff, and other people by no means understood that. I’m not right here to advertise myself.”
Beth Daniel of america drives off the tee in the course of the 1992 Solheim Cup on the Dalmahoy Nation Membership in Edinburgh, Scotland. (Picture: David Cannon/Allsport/Getty Photographs)
Trying again, Daniel believes that sort of pondering was incorrect. Whereas she did what the tour requested of her, she may’ve accomplished extra to advertise her private model.
Daniel noticed a photograph of Korda on the seaside final week and thought that’s precisely the place she would’ve gone to flee after such a tear.
“She jogs my memory a variety of me, and I don’t know if that’s a very good factor or not,” mentioned Daniel, laughing.
Korda seems to be a reluctant star. After successful a significant and an Olympic gold medal in the summertime of 2021, Korda turned down a pre-tournament press convention on the AIG Ladies’s British Open, her first begin after Tokyo. Press excursions aren’t her factor, although she’s greater than succesful in entrance of a mic.
Early on in her Solheim Cup profession, Korda was a part of Lopez’s participant pod beneath captain Juli Inkster’s system. Lopez noticed a variety of similarities between their video games, significantly on the greens.
“To offer Nelly any sort of recommendation is to get pleasure from this time,” mentioned Lopez. “Try to be a little bit bit extra open. There’s a shyness about her that she has.
“Simply actually, actually go for it, and actually get pleasure from what’s occurring to her. As a result of, as for me, earlier than you understand it’s gone, and also you’re previous and retired. I feel it’s simply vital to essentially take each second and stay it to the max.”
Good kind: Nancy Lopez-Melton takes a follow swing at St. George’s yesterday getting ready for Peter Jackson Basic. (Picture by Reg Innell/Toronto Star by way of Getty Photographs)
Ochoa’s four-win streak in 2008 included titles on the Kraft Nabisco (now Chevron) and again dwelling in Mexico. In Morelia, Ochoa didn’t make it to the vary after any of her rounds as a result of the autograph line virtually stretched to the U.S. border.
Ochoa’s group estimated she signed roughly 3,000 autographs every day on the Corona Championship. Vitality-wise, one occasion in Mexico was the equal of two within the States for Ochoa. She nonetheless received by 11 strokes.
Sorenstam went into the 2005 Kraft Nabisco on a streak of 4 wins that stretched over two seasons. She performed bogey-free over the weekend at Mission Hills to win by eight and be part of Lopez as the one two gamers in LPGA historical past to win 5 consecutive begins.
Solely 4 gamers in LPGA historical past have received 4 consecutive scheduled occasions, they usually’re all among the many best to ever play: Wright (1962, 1963); Kathy Whitworth (1969); Annika Sorenstam (2001); and Lorena Ochoa (2008).
Extremely, each of Wright’s four-win streaks got here within the span of 4 consecutive weeks.
“We’ve wanted an American to essentially stand up and get all of the curiosity again in,” mentioned Corridor of Famer JoAnne Carner of Korda’s wonderful play.
Nelly Korda of america performs her shot from the eleventh tee in the course of the second spherical of the LPGA Drive On Championship at Bradenton Nation Membership on January 26, 2024 in Bradenton, Florida. (Picture by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Photographs)
Like Wright, Korda’s swing is taken into account by many the perfect on the LPGA if not all of golf. Daniel mentioned a part of that’s the blessing of lengthy limbs. There’s an class to Korda’s swing that makes individuals cease and stare.
At 5 toes, 11 inches, Daniel’s lengthy, rhythmic swing was mentioned to be the perfect on the LPGA since Wright’s.
“Place-wise, Nelly is in higher positions than I ever was,” mentioned Daniel.
Korda skipped your complete spring Asian swing, heading first to Prague to spend time together with her grandparents. All through the break, she labored on her health, as well being setbacks have saved her from reaching her potential in recent times.
“I don’t wish to practice like a golfer,” mentioned Korda, “I wish to practice like an athlete.”
Korda’s athletic genes – each member of her instant household is a world-class athlete – add gas to the concept she will be able to change into the primary dominant American celebrity to transcend girls’s golf in many years. Individuals are drawn to energy.
“You’ll be able to inform by taking a look at her that she has the arrogance that she thinks she ought to win,” mentioned Daniel.
“As a participant, you all the time wish to get to that time the place you’re feeling like you possibly can win each event you tee it up in. That’s sort of the last word as a participant. However there aren’t many gamers who’ve the expertise to do this. Nelly does.”
To date, 4 consecutive victories on the LPGA hasn’t accomplished a lot to interrupt into the mainstream, even at a time when girls’s sports activities are experiencing a phenomenon in Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark.
Korda has misplaced to fifteen gamers in complete all season, and each a kind of losses got here in her first begin on the Hilton Grand Holidays Event of Champions in January, the place she took a share of sixteenth.
Her rise this season runs parallel with Masters champion Scottie Scheffler, who has three wins in his final 4 begins.
“How do you flip (Nelly) right into a Caitlin Clark?” requested Stupples. “If she’s even keen to be a Caitlin Clark.”
Step one is to maintain successful.
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