Nelly Korda rallies to win 3rd straight LPGA Tour start at Ford Championship

Nelly Korda wins third straight LPGA Tour event, overcoming brutal conditions to secure victory in playoff.

Nelly Korda won her hometown event in a playoff after closing eagle-birdie. She withstood brutal wind in Southern California to win in another playoff last week.

The world No. 1 made it three straight by staying steady through a soggy Sunday in the desert.

Korda became the first LPGA Tour player in eight years to win three straight starts, shooting a 7-under 65 to rally for for a two-stroke victory in the Ford Championship.

“It's very hard mentally to be 100% especially after a win, especially playing in tough conditions,” Korda said.

“So as boring as it sounds I was just taking it shot by shot and seeing where I was going to end up. To get three in a row, that's just a dream come true.” Korda won the Drive On Championship in late January in her hometown of Bradenton, Florida, before sitting out all of the LPGA Tour's Asian swing. She was still sharp after a seven-week break, winning the Fir Hill Seri Pak Championship in a playoff last week outside Los Angeles to move back atop the world ranking.

Korda stayed steady through four days in the desert, entering the final round two shots back through weather that got progressively worse at Seville Golf and Country Club.

Korda nearly holed out her second shot on the short par-4 16th to take the lead and birdied No. 18 to finish at 20-under 268 for her 11th career LPGA victory. She's the first LPGA Tour player to win three straight starts since Ariya Jutanugarn in 2016 and first American since Nancy Lopez won five straight 1978.