What Caused Nelly Korda’s ‘Painful’ Even Par at the LPGA Major? The Answer May Surprise You

Nelly Korda arrived at the 2025 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship as one of the heavy favorites to win the title. However, before the event began, she alarmed the golf world by announcing a new neck injury. The World No. 1 assured fans that she would be ready to play in the Frisco PGA Championship, and she was. Unfortunately, not everything went smoothly, and Korda confirmed that her pain has not entirely disappeared, although she didn’t seem overly concerned about it: “It [her neck] is better, yeah. Getting better every day, which is nice,” she said after her first round performance. “Just because I injured it last year, whenever I do injure my neck it takes a little bit longer than normal.” Korda said that although she doesn’t feel constant pain, it does occur at very inopportune times. “Just with rotation. And hard to sleep at night, too, just kind of get comfortable,” she said. The two-time major champion said she had experienced this type of discomfort earlier in the season, specifically at the T-Mobile Match Play in Las Vegas. She said that she also played through the pain at that event. Nelly Korda has been dealing with neck discomfort since the end of last season. She first reported the injury last October, which forced her to miss the LPGA Tour’s second Asian swing. Korda returned to work in November, winning The Annika, her seventh title of the season, and finishing tied for fifth at the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. Apparently, her neck discomfort didn’t cause her too much trouble during the first round of the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. She carded two birdies and two bogeys to finish tied for 15th at even par, four strokes behind leader Jeeno Thitikul. Coincidentally, Thitikul is one of Korda’s group mates in the event. Korda has played in nine tournaments this season without missing a cut. She has maintained her high level of play but hasn’t come even close to the results she achieved last season. She is still seeking her first win of 2025, though she has finished second twice, including at the U.S. Women’s Open six weeks ago.

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