“Just needed to feel something different.” The words of Nelly Korda, the seven-time winner in 2024, depict the desperation behind the strong moves she made to improve her results. After 13 events, the winless streak has started bothering the LPGA professional as she attempts sudden key changes for her performance. For the FM Championship, the 14th event of the season, the golfer has gone back to her previous style putter.

Sharing about the aim for the switch, she said, “Just something else than I’ve been feeling. Just something new. I had so much success with that head, and I hit a couple before Toronto. It was kind of obviously golf courses right now in Florida aren’t the best. Like the golf courses that I’m at just opened after being closed for a month.” With that in mind, she went back to her previous putter by TaylorMade. Additionally, with the rainy season, which left the grass firmer, she went to choose the old putter that led her to a successful season.

Further, Korda also shared about her success journey with the putter, saying, “So there was a lot of sand on them. Wasn’t really sure how I really liked the putter, but I just went with it. I knew I had so much success with that kind of putter and felt confident with T obviously, it’s a different grip, too.” Last year, Korda achieved 6 wins with her Scotty Cameron Special Select Squareback 2 prototype putter. But for the final win of the season, she picked the TaylorMade Spider Tour X putter. Even though she did achieve a victory, since then, the count hasn’t increased, and even critics have shared their take on it. This year, she has achieved two runner-up finishes and multiple top-5s, but a win still feels far away for the 27-year-old.

Currently sitting at T2 in TPC Boston, Korda, with her current putting average of 29.75, sits at 55th in the rankings. Known as one of the game’s great putters, her struggles have pushed her back to using her old putter. Interestingly, this year has seen several pros return to or experiment with different putters in search of form. One standout example is Tommy Fleetwood, who switched to the TaylorMade Spider Tour mallet and went on to achieve remarkable results, including his first PGA Tour victory at the TOUR Championship.

Similarly, another LPGA professional who endured a difficult 2024 also made a putter change, and the turnaround in her game has been just as dramatic.

LPGA pro who improved her play with just a putter change

For Nelly Korda, 2025 has been a frustrating season. After a record-breaking seven titles last year, her best results this year have been just two runner-up finishes. A similar story unfolded for Minjee Lee, who in 2023 captured two titles, the Kroger Queen City Championship and the BMW Ladies Championship, along with multiple top-10 finishes. But in 2024, her form dipped dramatically, with a T4 finish standing as her only top-five result of the season.

Recognizing the problem, Lee made a bold change at the start of 2025. She switched from her Odyssey Cruiser model to the Odyssey Ai-ONE Square 2 Square Cruise #7. A longtime blade user, moving to a 42-inch mallet putter was a tough decision, but ultimately, a game-changing one. Since the switch, Lee has claimed her third career major at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and added five more top-five finishes, including two runner-ups, in 2025.

Reflecting on the change, Lee explained, “I just try to think of it as a new adventure, not something that’s negative. I just wanted it to be something positive and something fun. Obviously, if I’m doing well with it, it’s even better.”

That same mindset now seems to guide Korda, who is looking for a fresh spark after an exhausting and frustrating year on tour. Returning to her trusted putter could prove to be a wise move, but whether it delivers the same success as before remains to be seen. What’s your take? Share your thoughts in the comments below.