It was a tidy turnaround for Nelly Korda on Thursday at the LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei, as she continues to hunt for her first victory of the 2025 season.
Korda fired a bogey-free 5-under 67 in the second round in Hawaii, and as the morning wave wrapped up, she was firmly in the mix to make a weekend run after pairing her 67 with a first-round 69.
“I give it 100 percent every single round,” Korda said. “Doesn’t matter if it’s at the start or the end of the year. Be nice to get a couple of good rounds in always, but at the end of the day, every round I give it a 100 percent, and I want to succeed with every shot that I hit.”
Korda, who started on the back nine, made birdies on Nos. 15 and 16 before adding three more in a six-hole stretch on the front side. The 15-time LPGA Tour winner was quick to say her putting made all the difference in the second round versus Wednesday’s opener.
“I would say the main difference between today and yesterday was just the putts dropped,” Korda said. “It was a little gustier out there today versus yesterday, so it was fun to play in, kind of show my creative side.”
Korda has had a solid run of golf over the last few months, including three top-10 finishes in her last five starts – not including the rain-shortened and eventually cancelled Walmart NW Arkansas Championship presented by P&G.
She also continues to have, statistically, a tremendous 2025 campaign – despite no victory added to her resume yet. Korda is third on the LPGA Tour in strokes gained total, fourth in strokes gained tee to green and first in strokes gained off the tee.
This week marked Korda’s first trip to Hawaii since 2021, a year that saw her finish in a tie for second. It’s a different golf course than the last time she teed it up, as the tournament moved to Hoakalei Country Club in 2022, but she’s been navigating things with ease so far.
“Obviously, you’re expecting it playing in Hawaii on an island. You never know what you’re going to get,” Korda said. “Growing up in Florida, I’m used to the gusty conditions. But kind of expect that out here in Hawaii, so you have that mindset that you’re going to have to show your creative side this week.”
Korda has felt like, through the summer, time has been moving extremely quickly. She remains laser-focused on the last couple of events in Florida and representing the United States at the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown, but said that she would prioritize rest and recovery as she goes forward.
“The more I play, the more my body gets beaten up, especially with how condensed our schedule has been from the beginning of the summer to right now with all the travel,” Korda said in her pre-tournament press conference. “But this is the most exciting time of the year. It’s the home stretch, the busy part where you do get to represent your country overseas in Asia. There is nothing better than that.
“But at the end of the day, I think for me, always prioritizing my body is the most important thing. So, I’ll be doing that when I’m home. It’s crazy how fast this year has flown by.”
Comparing last year’s effort by Korda to now – on paper at least – it’s also crazy to think that she doesn’t have a victory yet, especially considering there have been different winners at each of the events thus far on the schedule.
But, through two rounds in Hawaii, Korda has put herself right there to make a weekend charge and finally hoist a trophy in 2025.
“Overall happy with the first two days,” Korda said. “At the halfway mark, so still have 36 holes to go.”