Special to Sports News Highlights

(SNH) – It was a thrilling weekend of golf that saw Olympic gold medalist Xander Schauffele capture his first major championship.

He showed mettle and great resolve to claim the 106th playing of the PGA Championship, dropping in a birdie on 18 to beat Bryson DeChambeau by one shot at Valhalla Golf Club.  With it, Schauffele recorded the lowest 72-hole scoring total in a major championship (263).

Awesome stuff, but it’s not the best golf story of the weekend. And, with all due respect to Schauffele, he isn’t the best golfer on the tour.

Nelly Korda is the story. And she is the best golfer in the world on her tour. Korda won the Mizuho America’s Open at Liberty National in Jersey City.

Like Schauffele, she won by a stroke. The big difference is she’s won six of the last seven tournaments in which she’s has played. Korda is the fourth player to ever accomplish such a feat before June 1, joining Babe Zaharias in 1951, Louise Suggs in 1953 and Lorena Ochoa in 2008.

What an unreal run.

The victory is Korda’s 14th LPGA Tour win, passing Stacy Lewis, Betty Jameson and Rosie Jones for most wins by an American woman’s golfer since 1980. Oh, and she’s only 25 years old.

As great as her golf game is, and she seemingly has no flaws on the course, her perspective is equally as impressive. Korda says, while growing up, she looked up to tennis greats Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal. Korda says she hopes she blends the two most admirable characteristics of those two tennis icons: the grace of Federer and the fight of Nadal.

She’s got it for sure.

Korda wasn’t at her best Sunday in the final round. She shot a two over on the front and then birdied 10, 13 and 15 and closed with a one under 71. But the toughness of a champion was on display on the final hole.

Tied with Hannah Green, Korda hit a drive right down the middle of the fairway. Green went wayward with her drive and landed it in the left rough. Korda’s approach landed within 15 feet of the pin and her lag putt was tap-in distance. Green’s approach was short and settled in the rough. She would chip in the rough again before leaving herself a 10-foot putt for par. The pressure was too much and the bogey gave the hole, lead and tournament to Korda.

Some may say Green choked or blew it. Maybe. But Korda did what she had to do: elevate her game at the most challenging and pressure-filled time of the round.

You’ve heard the saying, “You can’t measure the heart of a champion.” Well, Nelly Korda put that on display Sunday. Really, we’ve witnessed it all season long.

If you haven’t been paying attention, you’ve missed something special.

Korda is as good as it gets in golf, whether it be the LPGA, PGA, DP World or LIV.

Watch her play and you’ll be convinced. She owns the heart of a champion.

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