LOS ANGELES (AFP) — Nelly Korda heads into her title defense in the Chevron Championship seeking her first victory of 2025, a stark contrast to the blistering early pace of her 2024 campaign but one that doesn’t bother the world number one at all.

“I would say last year is last year,” Korda said Tuesday as she prepared for the first women’s major of the year to tee off on Thursday at Carlton Woods in suburban Houston.

“This is a brand new year. What I achieved last year, no one can take that from me. That’s always going to be such a great memory, but it’s a fresh week and a fresh mindset.”

Last year Korda withstood a tension-packed back nine to beat Maja Stark by two strokes and claim her fifth victory in five starts — matching an LPGA Tour record set by Nancy Lopez in 1978 and equalled by Annika Sorenstam from 2004-2005.

Korda would go on to win seven titles in a spectacular 2024 campaign.

But she has just two top-10 finishes in five starts this season, having opted to skip the LPGA’s Asian swing after a runner-up finish in the Tournament of Champions in January and a tie for seventh in the Founders Cup in February.

Korda said she needed the rest, and while she faded from contention at the LA Championship last week to finish tied for 16th, the 26-year-old American says that aspects of her game are coming around.

“I think I saw some improvements in my game last week with my irons,” Korda said. “Definitely felt a little bit more comfortable with that.

“Then just need my putter to click a little bit more to make those putts. I think that’s where it’s been lacking, is the putts that I was making last year I’m just not making as many this year.”

“But that’s just golf. I’ve gone through waves like this before, and if I just continue working at it, hopefully it does click.”

Unlike last season, no one has emerged as a dominant force so far in 2025 with the first eight LPGA events producing eight different winners.

‘Much better place’

All eight are in a Chevron field that features 24 of the top 25 in the world rankings.

They include world number three Lydia Ko of New Zealand, the winner of the 2016 edition of the Chevron — when it was still held in California.

Ko claimed her 23rd career title at the HSBC Women’s World Championship in Singapore.

World number two Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand finished runner-up to Ko there and while she is seeking her first title of the year she has five top-10 finishes in six starts.

Fourth-ranked Lilia Vu, the 2023 Chevron champion, returns after missing her title defense last year because of a back injury that caused her so much pain she wondered if she would be able to play tournament golf.

“I would say I’m in a much better place than I was last year,” said Vu, who made a triumphant return to competition last June at the Meijer LPGA Classic.