Nelly Korda on one of the best rounds of her life, sharing it with fiancé

Nelly Korda's wins are rarely boring. Whether it's battling back, holding on for dear life or, in the case of the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, waiting it out, Korda has essentially experienced it all in nine seasons on the LPGA.

While the lingering talk about the 2026 season-opener will be about the LPGA's controversial decision to shorten the event to 54 holes, the 27-year-old Korda's third-round 64 is worth remembering.

Korda's 8-under performance is the second-lowest 18 hole score by an LPGA player at Lake Nona. Minjee Lee's 62 in the final round last year marks the lowest. Five players have shot 65 and another eight have carded a 66.

Nona is, by all accounts, a testing track. There's a reason so many PGA Tour and LPGA players have called it home over the years. And while Korda's round on Saturday began in rather benign conditions, when she birdied the first two holes and then holed out for eagle on the third, it was downright brutal by the end. The two-time major winner added five more birdies before dropping a shot on the wind-swept 17th. Korda had to step way from a putt several times on the penultimate hole as her ball was oscillating. Shortly after, officials suspended play for the day as they deemed that green unplayable.

"You could surf on that water today," said Korda of the white-capped Lake Nona.

Korda's play was so superior on Saturday, in fact, that she bested the field's scoring average by nine strokes, though it's worth noting she played seven groups ahead of the leaders and wasn't in the worst of the wind as long as others.

As the weather grew more grim, Korda shifted into survival mode so much so she forgot to record her score for three or four holes. She had no idea that she was 9 under through 15. By Sunday, she'd had enough time to reflect on what had transpired.

"Yesterday was probably one of my best rounds I've ever played in my career," said the now 16-time LPGA winner.

After winning seven times in 2024, Korda failed to step into the winner's circle last season. Korda was, of course, asked about the drought throughout the season, and she made sure to focus on the good. It's a game of inches or centimeters, she'd say. One putt falls and it's a different narrative.

What was different about this week?

"I guess I was just so focused on being really present, which I told myself to do that last year, too," said Korda. "Maybe the outside noise did make its way in a little bit more than I wanted to."

Last year, Korda said she went for a month without logging into social media to block out distractions. She also unfollowed a number of golf accounts.

She was online Sunday night though, posting a photo from Five Guys with a winning burger.

Five Guys! Good call here from the champ. pic.twitter.com/PXa6dU4UEi

— Beth Ann Nichols (@GolfweekNichols) February 2, 2026

This marked the first time Korda has won a tournament in front of her fiancé, Casey Gunderson. Her parents were there, too, braving the elements.

"I love having him at events," said Korda. "I would say I'm a little bit of a hermit crab when I'm playing tournaments. I go to the golf course and I go to the hotel and maybe I go out to dinner three times a week.

"When my sister left and she got pregnant, I think that was a really big mental adjustment for me not having my dinner buddy, and having the person that I was so close to, so now I get to appreciate it when Casey comes out and weeks like this to have that – even if it's in silence – having a comfort there."

Now in her 10th season on tour, boasts 20 LPGA Hall of Fame points, seven shy of the 27 needed to get into the toughest shrine in sports. She take off the spring Asian swing, skipping events in Thailand, Sinapore and China, before returning to action on the West Coast in mid-March.

No doubt this second offseason will feel a bit lighter than the last.

This article originally appeared on Golfweek: Nelly Korda's superb play on Saturday at LPGA opener worth remembering