The most dominant forces in golf this year have been Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda.
So, as we all recover from the Masters and prepare for the Chevron Championship, how could we not get together to recap the first major of the year for the men, preview the first for the women, and dig deep into what is possible for both? Scheffler has now won the two biggest events this year on the PGA Tour (the Masters and Players Championship) and arguably the third (Arnold Palmer Invitational). And Korda heads into the Chevron having won her last four LPGA starts, the first player to win four in a row since Lorena Ochoa in 2008. A fifth win would tie her with Annika Sorenstam (2004-05) and Nancy Lopez (1978).
We’ll also take stock of three of the biggest names on the PGA Tour right now, all of whom left the Masters with something to think about.
Can Nelly Korda make it 5-of-5?
Brody Miller: Do I want her to? Absolutely. It would be fantastic for golf. Greatness is incredible to watch, and Korda is the type of player you want to root for and want to see rack up majors. But in reality, I’ll say no. Two of her wins were by playoff. The other two were close. Which isn’t any less impressive. It’s just that golf is such a low-percentage sport that I’m not sure Korda is at the level of dominance (yet) to take over the field.
Gabby Herzig: Yes — the 5-of-5 record-tying streak is certainly attainable for Korda. This run is no fluke. Here’s why: it’s first important to note that seven weeks passed between Korda’s first and second victories, and her game withstood the hiatus from competition flawlessly. Secondly, Korda has also won on an assortment of golf courses and conditions. The 25-year-old prevailed at the narrow and hilly Palos Verdes Golf Club and a firm and gusty Shadow Creek — in a match-play format nonetheless. Korda’s success has been consistent and versatile, and nothing is stopping her from maintaining this level of play. As Korda likes to say, she’s staying in her “bubble.” That locked-in mentality is a staple among the game’s greats, like Nancy Lopez and Annika Sorenstam.
Hugh Kellenberger: Yes she can, and for one of the reasons Gabby just mentioned — this is not a stretch of golf confined to March. She won in January, skipped the LPGA’s Asia swing and then won three straight weeks in March and into April. Given her comments after the match-play win that she just wanted to get to her bed, I’d be worried if she was teeing it up for win No. 5 four days later. But with the benefit of a week off, why not? She’s driving the ball so well right now and has made a considerable upgrade in her iron play. Spoiler: When you find fairways and then hit greens, you’re going to have a lot of birdie chances.
“I hope that people see who I am, my true self, and that inspires them.” @NellyKorda is thriving in the spotlight 💡💫 pic.twitter.com/Qoqw3GShEG
— LPGA (@LPGA) April 16, 2024
If not Korda, then who wins the Chevron?
Miller: Ayaka Furue. She’s (relatively speaking) a long shot compared to the bigger stars in the field, but Furue is third in the season standings and top 20 in approach, around-the-green, putting, and tee-to-green stats. The tricky thing about the 23-year-old rising star is she racks up solid performances (three major top 10s) but only has one career LPGA win. I’ll say this is her big week.
Herzig: I’m going with Charley Hull. The Englishwoman already has two top 10s this season and she’s had several close calls in major championships. Last season, Hull was runner-up at the AIG Women’s Open and the U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach. She’s overdue for her maiden major victory. Plus, her speedy pace of play and uncluttered mental game allows her to succeed on the game’s biggest stages.
Kellenberger: If the LPGA is not going to get Korda winning her fifth event in a row, how about Rose Zhang claiming her first major? Zhang has not had the easiest last 6-8 months, balancing some adjustments to her game to adapt to pro competition with continuing to be a student at Stanford. But we’ve also seen her start the LPGA season with a T7, have a top 25 in mid-March and then get to the quarterfinals of match play. Things seem to be rounding into form nicely.
Who are you most worried about after the Masters: Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth or Collin Morikawa?
Miller: Justin Thomas for sure. For many reasons.
One, Morikawa actually had an awesome week. Interestingly, he split with coach Mark Blackburn right before the Masters and still played in the final group Sunday. I’m probably more on the side that I’m not sure Morikawa will ever be a week-in, week-out stud, but I still have faith he’s among the best players.
And even Spieth, it’s more about blowup holes and Spieth’s erratic nature that’s always been part of the package (although his wrist is clearly something to follow. It’s been bugging him for months).
But JT is something else entirely. It’s far more mental. The split with his caddie, Bones Mackay. The tears after a Friday blowup at the Masters. The strangest part is his swing is back on track after 2023 (jumping from 0.44 SG approach back to 0.89), but his putting has fallen off a cliff. He needs to step back and get things in order. That’s easier said than done.
GO DEEPER
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Herzig: Spieth immediately hit the self-eject button at Augusta National with an opening-round 79, which included a quadruple bogey nine on No. 15. That implosion feels the most concerning to me. The wrist could be the problem, but after watching Spieth at the Masters, it’s clear he’s also just a lost and confused golfer right now. Before teeing it up at Augusta, Spieth claimed that his game is better than his recent results have demonstrated. I’m not sure that’s the case — Spieth looked baffled at a course that he knows inside and out, where he’s won and has finished in the top 3 four times. No more excuses, it might be time for a Spieth reckoning.
Kellenberger: Morikawa left Augusta saying that he knows now what he has to do to get past Scottie Scheffler. Now whether or not he can actually do that is a whole separate thing … but he’s going to chase that feeling for a while.
Spieth is Spieth: He’s going to hit some terrible shots in any tournament, ones that light up X and make you just shake your head. Into the rain gutter, anyone? They interrupt even his good golf. But my expectations are also just so much lower for Spieth than the other two in this group — to borrow a line from The Fried Egg’s Andy Johnston, Spieth is just a guy.
Thomas is the problem. He looks lost, totally and completely. Whatever the circumstances of the split with Mackay are, it’s not going to make Thomas better. He won a major two years ago. He’s still only 30. It just feels like at a moment where we should be wondering how many more majors and big-deal events he can win, I’m instead wondering what rock bottom looks like.
Scottie Scheffler has two major championship wins in his career but is the dominant favorite in the game right now. (Andrew Redington / Getty Images)
Over/under: Scottie Scheffler’s 2024 majors win at 2.5
Miller: Two and a half! So high. Anyone in their right mind has to play the math and say under…
But I won’t. I’m that all in. I think Scheffler laps the field at Pinehurst with his combination of iron play and short game on those difficult to control greens. And he hasn’t necessarily done as well as links courses as others (relatively speaking), but I’ll pick him at Troon. Eventually, Scheffler’s run will slow down. These runs always do. But I don’t think it will be this year. This will be his iconic season we talk about for decades. That’s right. Scottie wins three!
GO DEEPER
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Herzig: I’m all aboard the Scottie train, but I think two major victories this year are realistic. The Masters was always going to be a runaway victory for Scheffler, especially as a past champion with advantageous length off the tee and world-class accuracy from the fairway. I think he’ll win one more this season. The Open Championship is a toss-up with the weather, and the PGA Championship at Valhalla will be just a few weeks removed from the birth of his first child. I agree with Brody: Scheffler will thrive at Pinehurst, where a premium will be placed on precision and missing shots in the right spots. He’ll win by several shots again as his chasers crumble under pressure.
Kellenberger: I think the answer is two, but man oh man do I want Scottie Scheffler to win the PGA Championship next month at Valhalla and set up all the grand slam talk heading into Pinehurst. Men’s pro golf needs someone to get behind right now and create a moment, and Scheffler is our best shot. No pressure, Scottie.
(Top photo of Nelly Korda: Orlando Ramirez / Getty Images)
