Erik Williams-Imagn Images
New women’s golf world No. 1 Nelly Korda is on an absolute heater to begin the 2026 LPGA Tour season, winning in three of her six starts, including her third career major at the Chevron Championship, and finishing no worse than a tie for second.
In doing so, Korda regained the top spot in the world rankings that she had held previously, but lost in 2025 to Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul.
So, what changed to take Korda from no victories and just a pair of top-two finishes in 2025 to her incredible run to begin the 2026 season?
As the legendary Nike Air Jordan commercial said, “it’s gotta be the shoes.”
Nelly Korda Credits Higher Shoes For Fixing Her Golf Swing
Following her back-to-back victories in the Chevron Championship and the Riviera Maya Open, Korda appeared on The Pat McAfee Show and discussed her stellar start to the season.
“I’m having so much fun on the golf course,” Korda said during the interview. “But I think it came because last year was a really hard year for me. I didn’t win at all, I came off of a year that I won seven times, and I think I’m just maturing and realizing that I really need to enjoy these moments, that it’s not going to last forever.”
But Korda also addressed how a seemingly minor change to her attire may have unlocked a new level to her already incredible golf game.
“I think the biggest thing that I changed from last year, actually, is (that) I have higher shoes,” Korda said. “I’m trying to actually get closer to the ground with my chest. And with that, I actually get a little bit steeper in my swing and hinge it a little faster. It’s literally like the smallest of things. Golfers are crazy. I’m crazy, just to let you know.”
Anybody who has ever played the game of golf will tell you that they’ll try just about anything to improve their swing. And at least for Korda, that includes something as simple as a change of shoes. Perhaps the rest of us have been making this harder than it had to be the entire time?