It is not Nelly Korda‘s year. If someone had said this last year, the absurdity of the sentence would have sent a laughing fit among golf nerds. But now, it is a reality. After a spectacular 2024 season, Korda’s halt this year was gruelling and at times head-scratching. Despite doing everything right, from stats to putts, Korda failed to register a single win this season, coming brutally close not once but thrice. Yet, she kept through, hoping for the script to flip. But recent updates point out that Korda will have to wait a little bit more.
Reports coming from the Hanwha LIFEPLUS International Crown have revealed that Korda has withdrawn from the tournament, citing injury concerns. The event, set to be held from October 23-26, was the world No. 2’s next stop after her contention at the LOTTE Championship.
The four-day biennial event in Goyang-si, South Korea, will have a match-play format and is part of the LPGA Tour. Eight countries will be qualifying with their top four players to compete in teams of four. Korda’s absence will leave Team USA with Angel Yin, Lauren Coughlin, Lilia Vu, and Yealimi Noh, who will step in to replace her.
The timing of this could not have been unfortunate. Just a few days ago, Korda hinted that her body was wearing thin after months of relentless travel and competition.
With a T4 in the Lotte Championship on Saturday in Oahu—her best after the US Women’s Open (T2)—she admitted, “I would say by this time of the year my body is definitely worn down. I do have some injuries I’ve had in the past that kind of linger, that are never really fully resolved. You still do PT every single day, you do therapy. So making sure you’re as 100% as you can be is always the end goal.”
Now the same injury in question has probably forced her to step away from a crucial stop. At the 2025 KMPG Women’s PGA Championship, it was reported that Korda had hurt her neck during a practice round. This had caused her neck to go into a “full spasm.” Despite that, she played the tournament and secured a T19 position.
Even in the Lotte Championship, she showed absolute tenacity. Starting hot, she went 2-under through her first two holes, collecting birdies on 10, 11, and 15. But a wayward tee shot on 16 led to a costly bogey that derailed her late push.
She ultimately finished at 10-under par, her sixth top-5 of the season. And despite such near-misses, Korda ranks second in scoring average (69.70) and third in Strokes Gained: Total (2.30). Statistically, she has only improved since last year.
Yet, holding a trophy has been a dream in 2025. And what’s interesting is that just a week ago, Korda said she would be focusing more on her health to avoid any unexpected bumps in the leftover season.
“I would say since kind of the summer it’s been go, go, go, go, go…definitely if I have two weeks, prioritizing rest and recovery for my body…”
Indeed, Korda has been following a condensed schedule since the start of the year. From April to September, she has played in 14 events and has been able to make a cut in all of them. A much-needed rest could have helped her performance in South Korea, but the injury knocked on her door before that.
Whether she will continue the next lined-up events — there is The ANNIKA and the CME Group Tour Championship — remains to be seen. But what’s haunting is that this injury is like a shadow from the past.
A painful Deja Vu for the World No. 2
This is not the first time injury has disrupted Nelly Korda’s Asian Swing. Back in October 2024, she had a neck injury while practicing ahead of the BMW Ladies Championship in South Korea. That forced her to withdraw from both the particular tournament (she was the defending champion) and the upcoming Maybank Championship in Kuala Lumpur. At the time, she was the world’s No. 1, coming off an extraordinary streak of 6 victories, including five back-to-back.
The Asia Swing concluded with the TOTO Japan Classic, and the season finale was the CME Group Tour Championship, exactly like how it is supposed to be this year. Korda ultimately returned to the competition after proper rest, but missed the opportunity to add to her winning tally during that stretch.
