Same driving accuracy. Similar greens in regulation. Nearly identical putting stats. Yet 2024 brought Nelly Korda six victories, while 2025 has delivered none. The numbers tell one story; the trophy case tells another.

At the CME Group Tour Championship press conference, world No. 1 Korda opened up about this frustrating reality. Her 2024 season saw her win seven LPGA titles, with a 69.7 scoring average, 75% driving accuracy, and 75.5% greens in regulation. The historic campaign made her the first player since Yani Tseng in 2011 to achieve seven wins in a single season, with five consecutive victories tying records held by Nancy Lopez and Annika Sorenstam.

Fast forward to 2025: her scoring average actually improved to 69.87, driving accuracy climbed to 76.71%, and she remains second on tour in strokes gained total at 2.35.

Lydia Ko noticed the statistical paradox. She observed in her own press conference how Korda’s numbers mirror her dominant 2024 campaign. The question posed: how does a competitive athlete stay motivated when the results don’t match the performance?

Korda’s answer revealed something deeper than statistics.

“I would say back to probably having the people around me and like venting to them,” Korda explained at the press conference. “Honestly sometimes I feel bad because sometimes do I vent a little too much.”

Her admission struck a chord. Here stood the world’s top-ranked player confessing vulnerability about leaning on her support system.

“But they’re also a great reminder. They see stuff differently than maybe what I see. And they’ve been around me for so long. I’ve had pretty much the same team my entire career.”

That stability matters. Korda’s caddie Jason McDede has been by her side since the start of the 2018 LPGA Tour season—a seven-year partnership built on trust. Coach Jamie Mulligan joined her team in November 2021, bringing approximately 4 years of collaboration.

The continuity creates something irreplaceable: perspective.

After last week’s disappointment at The Annika, driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, where Korda finished T15, she turned to her team. Their response shifted everything. They pointed out specific improvements from previous tournaments. This improved from the last time. That improved from the last time.

“I think then you get a whole new perspective when you talk to your team who have been around for so long.”

The 2025 season taught Korda a lesson she hadn’t fully grasped before. When asked what she learned about herself this year, her response came without hesitation.

“What I learned about myself this year is that it’s okay to lean on others when stuff isn’t going well,” Korda revealed.

The support extends beyond technical golf advice. It’s about showing up. Her team has been there in every way possible—taking calls, responding to texts, FaceTiming when she needs connection.

“Doesn’t matter if it’s showing up for me, taking a call, texting me, FaceTiming me, it doesn’t matter. They’ve just shown up every single day, which I’m very grateful for.”

This daily consistency provided the foundation Korda needed during her winless stretch. The numbers might suggest she should be winning. The team reminds her that progress exists beyond trophies.

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When great stats don’t guarantee wins

Golf presents a unique challenge. Playing at an elite level for four consecutive days doesn’t guarantee victory. One putt lips out. Momentum never arrives.

“It’s honestly a fine line,” Korda acknowledged. “It comes down to sometimes one shot. It’s like one putt lips out, and you don’t get your momentum. It’s just such a fine line when it comes to golf.”

The 2025 LPGA season has produced 26 different winners through 25 official tournaments—tying the record. The phenomenon highlighted Korda’s season-long paradox perfectly—improved statistical performance yielded zero tournament victories despite maintaining elite-level play throughout the year.

Two-time major winner Lilia Vu defended Korda’s winless season. “I would say it’s kind of unfair to Nelly to [criticize her for not winning],” Vu noted. “She’s won so many times out here. People go through stuff.”

Korda enters the CME Group Tour Championship with one final opportunity. The November 20-23 event at Tiburón Golf Club features a $11 million purse with $4 million going to the winner. Her historical performance here encourages—she’s never finished worse than T19 at this venue.

More importantly, she carries something money can’t buy: a team that sees what she can’t, reminds her of progress when disappointment clouds judgment, and provides the perspective shift she desperately needed.