NELLY KORDA’S DESPERATE GAMBLE: Seven-Time Champion Clings to Old Magic in Shocking Move at FM Championship

“Just needed to feel something different.” With those haunting words, Nelly Korda — the unstoppable force of 2024 who claimed a jaw-dropping seven victories — has laid bare the desperation behind her latest, radical decision. After 13 tournaments without a single win, the pressure has mounted to unbearable levels. And now, at the $4.1 million FM Championship, Korda has taken a stunning step: ditching her current equipment to resurrect her old, battle-tested putter in hopes of reigniting her lost spark.

A Winless Streak That Haunts a Champion

For a golfer once hailed as untouchable, 2025 has been nothing short of a nightmare. Korda has clawed her way to two runner-up finishes and multiple top-fives, but the trophy cabinet remains empty. Each missed chance has become a dagger to her once unshakable confidence. And as critics circle, whispering that her dominance is fading, Korda has made a bold, almost desperate gamble: return to the putter that once made her invincible.

The Switch That Could Change Everything

Korda revealed that her decision wasn’t planned — it was 𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 from raw frustration. “Just something else than I’ve been feeling,” she admitted, clinging to the memory of her past dominance. That “something” is her old TaylorMade Spider Tour X putter, the weapon that helped her capture her last win of 2024. With Florida’s courses battered by rain and sand, and with her putting average slipping to a concerning 29.75 (55th on Tour), Korda is banking everything on her old magic wand to reverse her fortunes.

It’s a bold roll of the dice — one that could either resurrect her winning touch or prove that even champions can’t escape time and pressure.

Haunted by the Ghost of 2024

Fans still remember the season of brilliance, when Korda lifted trophy after trophy, six with her Scotty Cameron Special Select Squareback 2 prototype and one with the Spider Tour X. That run crowned her not just as the face of the LPGA, but as one of the most dominant golfers of her generation. But now? That glory feels like a ghost — a memory that taunts her every time she walks up to a green.

Others Have Tried… and Triumphed

Korda isn’t alone in turning to drastic measures. Across the sport, players have shaken things up in search of form. Tommy Fleetwood’s switch to the TaylorMade Spider Tour mallet produced his first PGA Tour victory at the TOUR Championship. LPGA star Minjee Lee, after a disastrous 2024, abandoned her trusted Odyssey blade for a 42-inch Odyssey Ai-ONE mallet — and the result? A career-defining comeback, including her third major at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and five more top-five finishes in 2025.

These stories prove that one bold move can flip the script entirely. And now, all eyes are on Nelly Korda — will her gamble spark a historic comeback or expose her struggles even further?

The Moment of Truth

Sitting tied for second at TPC Boston, Korda is on the edge of redemption — or ruin. For a golfer once feared by the field, this switch is more than a technical adjustment. It’s a statement, a cry for survival, and perhaps the last card she has to play.

This week at the FM Championship, the world will find out: Is Nelly Korda still the queen of the LPGA — or has her crown slipped for good?