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SwingThought Tour Brings Professional Golf Back to Louisville

SwingThought Tour Brings Professional Golf Back to Louisville. Oxmoor Country Club to host developmental tour’s third major.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (April 3, 2018) – The next Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth or Dustin Johnson may be crowned this June at Oxmoor Country Club as the Louisville golf club plays host to the SwingThought Tour, a developmental professional golf tour.

The third major on SwingThought Tour’s annual calendar takes place June 11-16 at the roughly 7,000-yard Oxmoor Country Club, located at 9000 Limehouse Lane in Louisville.

“Louisville has a place in golf history, from the epic PGA Championships and Ryder Cup at Valhalla, to Justin Thomas’ recent run. We are proud that Oxmoor will be a part of Louisville’s professional golf story,” said Jamie DeKeuster, Head Golf Professional at Oxmoor Country Club. “We’ll see some of the next stars of the game at this event and we plan to set the course up to give the players a fair test as well as a taste of Kentucky hospitality.”

Next to the PGA Tour and Web.com Tour, the SwingThought Tour is the only other professional tour in the country to offer a series of professional golf events. More than 250 SwingThought Tour players have or continue to play on the PGA Tour. SwingThought Tour alumni have won a total of 17 major championships. Notable alumni of the tour include Bubba Watson, Keegan Bradley, John Daly and Zach Johnson.

Current points leaders on the SwingThought Tour include Wade Binfield, who in 2017 had a third-place finish on the PGA Tour’s Mackenzie Tour in Canada; Daniel Claytor, who won the 2017 Bradley Putters Open on the SwingThought Tour; and Tommy “Two Gloves” Gainey, who has a win on the PGA Tour and is noted for his appearances on The Big Break.

The SwingThought Tour event in Louisville will be a 72-hole tournament, with a cut after 36 holes. Players will compete for a minimum $10,000 top prize, and the field is open to any player currently on the SwingThought Tour, as well as the top player from a local qualifying event held Sunday, June 3 at Oxmoor. Entry fee for the qualifying tournament is $175.

Spectators are welcome to attend both the tournament and the qualifying round, and attendance is free. For spectator information, or to register for the qualifying tournament, call Oxmoor Country Club at 502-491-7877.

Oxmoor Country Club’s par-72 championship course features all bentgrass, highlighted by Weicher Creek, seven watershed lakes and 75 bunkers. It has previously played host to the Kentucky Men’s Open, Kentucky Women’s Open, USGA Girls' Junior Qualifier, Big East Women’s Championships, 2017 KGA Match Play as well as the Ned Beatty Pro-Am. The club opened in 1988 and the golf course was designed by David Pfaff.

301 South 4th Street Louisville, Kentucky 40202

1.888.LOUISVILLE (1.888.568.4784)

SwingThought TOUR (aka “ST TOUR”) Launches 2018 Industry Leading Developmental Professional Golf Tour and Offerings for Players, Courses, and Local Communities USA - English USA - English

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Dec 12, 2017, 05:25 ET

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. (PRWEB) December 12, 2017 -- The SwingThought TOUR continues its goal of increasing the value of the developmental professional golf industry with unmatched investment and support towards developing professional golfers, hosting venue flexibility, and intimate community involvement in its 2018 TOUR schedule .

The SwingThought TOUR hosts professional golf events featuring the future stars of the WebDotCom and PGA Tours. For professional golfers, the “44 Series & Race” is the central focus of the ST TOUR. The 44 Sponsorship Race offers players an unrivaled $4,400 sponsorship to each of the top 44 qualifying players over the entire season’s competitions. The 44 Series is a collection of 8 designated events in 2018 that offer up to 44 players sponsored entry into the event at no cost to the player. The system is designated to move developmental golf far away from the long struggled “mini tour” model.

A typical “National Series” event week on ST TOUR in a local community consists of an 18 hole professional event, a junior amateur event, a Pro-Am, charitable/business evening functions, and a 72 hole professional golf tournament. Throughout the week fans will be able to watch the competition, volunteer to aid with the event, and interact with the professionals in special events. Each event aims to also provide promotion and interactive opportunities for regional and local charities and businesses.

Early highlights of the ST TOUR’s schedule include their ST School Jan. 3rd at RedTail GC in Sorrento, FL. The TOUR’s first of eight “44 Series Events” will be held Jan. 31st at Southwood GC in Tallahassee, FL. The first Major of 2018 will be held February 21st at Black Bear GC in Eustis, FL. The month of May is Tennessee strong with events at Three Ridges Golf Course in Knoxville and GreyStone GC outside of Nashville. ST TOUR also makes stops in Charlotte, NC, Greensboro, NC, Columbia, SC, Louisville, KY, and the Atlanta and Georgia Coast areas during 2018.

Wholly owned and operated by Golf Interact, LLC, the SwingThought TOUR ’s mission is to develop and advance golf by delivering more access to golfers, courses and communities. The tour provides professional golfers the opportunity to experience all aspects of life as a true touring golf professional with a schedule built around geographical series and different varieties of championship golf courses while delivering more access to competitive golf to each event’s surrounding communities. The SwingThought TOUR is operated by a knowledgeable staff who are PGA and USGA certified. As evidenced by the success of our alumni, The SwingThought TOUR is the most proven avenue to the PGA and Web.com Tours. SwingThought TOUR alumni have won an amazing 17 Major Championships. Most recently, 15 of the 25 players earning their PGA Tour card by finishing in the top of the WebDotcom Tour 2017 season money list are ST TOUR alumnus.

For more information regarding the SwingThought TOUR visit us at swingthought.com or call our office at (800) 992-8748, also follow us @swingthought.com ###

Stephan Koblos, SwingThought TOUR, +1 (571) 239-3674, [email protected]

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Golf Interact Acquires eGolf Tour, To Bring Under Swing Thought Tour Umbrella

August 6, 2015

Consolidation of the 2 largest developmental tours in the US to provide professionals the optimum place to compete and develop nationally and regionally

Charlotte, N.C. – August 3, 2015 – Today, Golf Interact, LLC announced the acquisition of the Charlotte based Egolf Professional Tour and the immediate integration of the tour’s events and membership into the company’s signature brand, Swing Thought Tour. The Swing Thought Tour is the longest running developmental tour in the United States, originally founded as the Rick TC Jordan Tour which later rose to national prominence as the NGA Hooters Tour. The Swing Thought mantra, the first brand brought to market by Golf Interact, is to connect and develop golfers of all levels, and the Swing Thought Tour is the flagship vehicle being used by Golf Interact to help achieve these goals. With the acquisition of the Egolf Tour, Golf Interact has now assured Swing Thought’s place and impact in the golf industry by providing the largest coverage area and membership base in professional developmental golf in the U.S.A.

While the Swing Thought Tour has widely been recognized as the top developmental tour in the country, the Egolf Tour has long been regarded as one of the top tours to help aspiring professionals develop their games and, as such, has produced its own share of top PGA TOUR and Web.com Tour professionals. Brian Harman, Chesson Hadley, and Jason Kokrak are just a few of the names who have found success on the Egolf Tour and moved up to golf’s premier levels. The Swing Thought Tour and Egolf Tour have a long history together. In 2007, the NGA Hooters Tour (as the Swing Thought Tour was then known) paid to title the then Tarheel Tour (which would later become the Egolf Tour). After the purchase of the Tarheel Tour by Egolf, the tours often found themselves competing for the same professionals and conducting competing events in many of the same markets. Now, with the consolidation, players will have one top developmental tour, taking the best of both worlds, to provide players the opportunity to compete against the best competition on the best golf courses under the best structure in developmental golf, offering a true number three men’s professional golf tour in the U.S.A. as players work to realize their dreams of one day competing on the PGA TOUR.

Michael Rush, Founder and CEO of Golf Interact, on the acquisition commented, “We started out on our journey of developing and offering the best developmental professional golf tour last fall when we purchased the history rich NGA Tour, and in our original plans we had our eyes also set on the eGolf Tour, as a critical piece of the puzzle. We knew combining these long running businesses under our Swing Thought brand, would expedite the realization of that goal. At the heart of the plan is creating tremendous value for all involved, namely our customers, the players, and the value of rolling up these two long time competitors into the Swing Thought Tour for players, partners, vendors, courses, volunteers, alike will be felt immediately. The Swing Thought Tour is Golf Interact’s primary economic engine, and we have invested significantly in our tour with the expectation of growing it substantially over the next several years and beyond. Our team is excited and anxious to get moving into the new tour model that will enhance the experience for the players and all involved. As a player I know first hand what players go through when competing at this level. Easier, more cost effective, and more frequent access to the irrefutable proven platform that Robin and our tour team has developed over the years sending more players to the PGA Tour than any other tour, is crucial, with the costs and hurdles that players must face when working towards that dream.”

The most immediate impact to be felt with the acquisition should be increased field sizes for the Swing Thought Tour’s upcoming August run featuring three guaranteed $140,000 purse events being held at the Web.com Tour News Sentinel Open Monday Qualifier host Three Ridges Golf Course in Knoxville, Tenn. August 12-15, The River Club in North Augusta, S.C. August 19-22, and The Members Club at Woodcreek in Elgin, S.C. August 26-29. Members of the Egolf Tour will automatically have their memberships transferred to the Swing Thought Tour allowing them to compete in these events at member’s entry. The Swing Thought Tour will still conduct both the Palmetto State Open scheduled for August 5-7 at River Hills Country Club in Little River, S.C. and the Egolf Tour event scheduled for August 5-8 at River Hills Country Club in Lake Wylie, S.C. The Egolf Tour August 19-21 event at Sapona Country Club in Lexington, N.C. has been cancelled due to a scheduling conflict with the Swing Thought Tour’s North Augusta guaranteed purse event.

“We have always strived to make players the priority and position ourselves as the number one tour in developmental golf, by providing our members with an atmosphere that most closely mirrors what they will face at golf’s highest levels,” stated Swing Thought Tour President Robin L. Waters, “With the acquisition of the Egolf Tour by Golf Interact, the goal to further expand the Swing Thought brand and develop one true, solid professional golf tour in the U.S.A. has come to fruition. The future has never looked brighter. Golf Interact has truly lived up to the Swing Thought platform of connecting and developing golfers of all levels. This is definitely an historic day and one which shows our professionals are our top priority.”

The Swing Thought Tour will have several announcements coming in the next few weeks as exciting plans are put in place for the winter and the upcoming 2016 season. Players will have several exciting new options to look forward to including new annual memberships and localized regional series in addition to the tour’s premier national Pro Series. The regional tours will be centered around major cities such as Charlotte, Atlanta, states such as Florida, Arizona, Texas, and regions such as the Carolinas and southern California among others. Players will be able to join one of these regional series or they can join the main Swing Thought Tour Pro Series which would give them full playing privileges into any regional event. Be on the lookout in the next few weeks for regional series information, schedules, and our 2016 Pro Series kickoff. These are exciting times for developmental golf and touring professionals looking for the best place to showcase and develop their skills.

About Swing Thought Tour

Since its establishment in 1988, Swing Thought Tour alumni have won an amazing 17 Major Championships. Alumni include two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson, Masters and Open Champion Zach Johnson, PGA Championship winners Keegan Bradley, Shaun Micheel and David Toms, Open Champions Ben Curtis, Stewart Cink and Tom Lehman, U.S. Open Champions Jim Furyk, Lee Janzen, and Lucas Glover, Open and PGA Champion John Daly, Tour Championship winners Chad Campbell, Billy Mayfair, and Camilo Villegas, and recent PGA Tour winners such as Scott Piercy, Matt Every, Robert Streb, Ben Martin, Kevin Streelman, Michael Thompson, Ted Potter Jr., Gary Woodland, Chris Kirk, John Senden, Brian Harman, Brendon Todd, Chesson Hadley, Russell Henley, Mark Wilson, George McNeill, Scott Stallings, and many many more. In addition, 89 of the 150 players competing in the 2014 Web.com Tour Q School Final Stage were past players on the Swing Thought Tour.

For more information on the new Swing Thought Tour visit swingthought.com or call 800-992-8748.

Be sure to follow us on Twitter @SwingThought and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/swingthought

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Swingthought Tour (Formerly Nga Hooters & Egolf Tour)

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• The Swing Thought Tour (formerly the NGA Hooters Tour and eGolf Tour) has proven year after year to be the most outstanding avenue for players to display and develop their skills in an extremely competitive atmosphere.The Swing Thought Tour is the only Professional Tour in the country to offer a series of events, besides the PGA and Web.com Tours, offering a full week of activities that include 72-hole (36-hole cut) tournaments, free practice rounds, free sponsored beverages and snacks each week, free range balls, paid participant pro-ams, long drive contests, and shootouts at selected events.The Swing Thought Tour provides players the opportunity to experience all aspects of life as a true touring golf professional. The schedule is structured around geographical series and different varieties of championship golf courses to subject our players to any type of course they may face at golfs highest levels.The Swing Thought Tour prides itself on running mostly professional 72-hole events with a knowledgeable staff who are PGA and USGA certified. As evidenced by the success of our alumni, The Swing Thought Tour is the most proven avenue to the PGA and Web.com Tours.

Headquarters: 4245 Exchange Street , Little River, South Carolina, United States

Phone Number: +1 800-992-8748

Employees: 4

Revenue: $1 - 10M

Legal Name: Swingthought Tour (Formerly Nga Hooters & Egolf Tour)

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|  NAICS Code: 238220  |

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Frequently asked questions regarding swingthought tour (formerly nga hooters & egolf tour).

Where are Swingthought Tour (Formerly Nga Hooters & Egolf Tour)'s Headquarters?

Swingthought Tour (Formerly Nga Hooters & Egolf Tour)'s Headquarters are in 4245 Exchange Street ,Little River,South Carolina,United States

What is Swingthought Tour (Formerly Nga Hooters & Egolf Tour)'s phone number?

Swingthought Tour (Formerly Nga Hooters & Egolf Tour)'s phone number is +1 800-992-8748

What is Swingthought Tour (Formerly Nga Hooters & Egolf Tour)'s Revenue?

Swingthought Tour (Formerly Nga Hooters & Egolf Tour)'s revenue is $1 - 10M

What is Swingthought Tour (Formerly Nga Hooters & Egolf Tour)'s NAICS code?

Swingthought Tour (Formerly Nga Hooters & Egolf Tour)'s NAICS code is 238220

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Swingthought Tour (Formerly Nga Hooters & Egolf Tour) has 4 employees

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Swingthought Tour (Formerly Nga Hooters & Egolf Tour) is in the industry of Sports

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Swingthought Tour (Formerly Nga Hooters & Egolf Tour)'s Membership Director is Allie Rush

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The Official Website of the Golf Coaches Association of America

A SwingThought TOUR Q&A With Taylor Dickson

The Golf Coaches Association of America, in cooperation with its long-time corporate partner, the SwingThought TOUR, will feature a monthly Q&A with former collegians who are currently playing or have played on the SwingThought TOUR. Long considered the premier developmental tour in the United States, thousands of former college players have started their professional careers there. More than 250 SwingThought TOUR alumni have or continue to play on the PGA TOUR.

This month we spoke with Taylor Dickson, who played collegiately at the Winthrop. Q: We read that you didn’t start playing golf seriously until you turned 15 – what made you focus on the game at that point? Yes, I began to really take it seriously around 15 or 16. At Gaston Country Club we had about 10 juniors to play with everyday which is very rare for one club. We all loved to play and compete with each other and that lead me to play golf more than other sports and pursue it in college. Q: Were you interested in other sports growing up? I was really into soccer growing up I played on a travel team and became good friends with everyone on the team and we also played baseball and basketball together. I decided to only play golf going into high school and try to play in college after high school. Q: At what point did you know you wanted to play college golf? Right after my freshman year when Harold Varner III left our high school team to play at East Carolina. I wanted to do the same thing I thought it would be fun to go to college and play golf all over the United States. After he left I just continued to work on my game and get better and eventually took an offer to play at Winthrop University and am glad I went to Winthrop. Q: What do you remember most fondly about your time playing collegiately at Winthrop? I remember traveling with the team and playing all over the United States was the most fun part. I really liked long van rides for some reason they were fun for our team it gave us time to bond and prank each other sometimes. We were a really close team and I miss team golf; its the most fun form of golf in my opinion. Q: How would you describe your adjustment from playing collegiately to playing professionally? I do not take as many chances or risks while on the golf course. In the professional game shots mean dollars and I can't be wasting any shots while playing. I'm not as aggressive off the tee and have learned that laying back and hitting the fairway is key. In college I would just hit driver as far as I could and play from there that won't work at this level. Q: What is one of the biggest challenges you have faced as a professional golfer? How have you overcome or are dealing with overcoming this challenge? I was a big risk taker in college always going for par 5s in two and if we had a drivable par 4 I was going to try to hit the green. I have learned that the gunslinger type of play can backfire on you pretty quickly. I learned to have a more conservative game plan and know when and when not to risk it by going for it. Q: What is your favorite golf hole you’ve had a chance to play during a SwingThought TOUR event? What about the most difficult one? I believe its the 6th hole at Cutter Creek - it is a drivable par 4 and I am a fan of those so that would be my favorite hole of last year. The 18th at Kinderlou Forest was really difficult especially when it was into the wind hitting back up the hill for the 2nd shot from over 200. It's difficult to end the day on such a tough hole. Q: What is the best part about playing on the SwingThought TOUR? The competition is usually pretty good and that's what is going to make me better. I want to play in tournaments where I am pushed to play well and get better every round I play. I feel SwingThought has given me that. Q: Who has had the greatest impact or influence on you as it pertains to your golf career? Bruce Sudderth has been my mentor and swing coach for about 10 years and he has helped me not only on the course but off it as well. He has taught me everything I know about golf I would not be where I am today without him no question. Q: What advice would you have for any player finishing their college career who has hopes of playing professional golf? It's going to take a lot of hard work on and off the golf course to succeed at the next level. It will not be easy and you need to be patient and just keep working at it - you never know when your big break could come.

Nelly Korda is dominating the LPGA Tour and it's not even close

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PGA Tour star Scottie Scheffler , who won his second green jacket at the Masters last week, isn't the only world No. 1 golfer dominating a professional tour right now.

Nelly Korda , No. 1 in the Rolex Women's World Golf Ranking, has won in four consecutive starts on the LPGA Tour, becoming the first golfer since Lorena Ochoa in 2008 to accomplish the feat. Korda is the first American golfer since Kathy Whitworth in 1969 to capture victories in four of her first five LPGA starts in a season.

At this week's Chevron Championship in The Woodlands, Texas, the first major championship of the season in women's professional golf, Korda will attempt to become only the third golfer in LPGA Tour history to win in five consecutive starts -- Nancy Lopez (1978) and Annika Sörenstam (2004-05) were the others.

Even Scheffler, who captured his first nine PGA Tour victories since February 2022 and has already won three times this season, isn't winning at Korda's current pace.

Korda, 25, said she has been inspired by Scheffler's run the past three seasons.

"I mean, gosh, I don't think anyone can ever say anything bad about Scottie," Korda said. "I love his morals, I love his attitude out there. I just love the way he goes about his business. He inspires so many around him, including myself.

"So yeah, obviously, as he even said, he wants to win every tournament he tees it up in. That's every girl that's out here competing, too. I think that you just have to go about your business. You can get lost in the articles, lost in the expectations, but I think if you just stick to your true self, I feel like you can live in your own bubble and enjoy it a lot more."

Korda has long been considered one of the best players in golf. She has won 12 times on the LPGA Tour and three times in Europe. In 2021, Korda won four tournaments, including her first major at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club. Later that summer in Tokyo, she became the first American women's golfer to win a gold medal in the Olympics since Margaret Abbott in 1900.

Following that breakthrough season, Korda was diagnosed with a blood clot in her left arm and needed surgery in April 2022. She battled COVID-19 earlier that year and ended up missing about four months of the season. Last year, she was sidelined for about a month because of a lower-back injury and never regained her form. She didn't win in 2023, her first campaign in three years without a victory.

"Yeah, in 2021 I went on a run, and then in 2022 and 2023 golf really humbled me," Korda said. "I think [in] sports, there are ups and downs. Every athlete goes through the roller coaster, and that is what makes the sport so great. You mature and grow so much and learn more about yourself. You never take these weeks for granted."

What has made Korda's current streak so impressive is the many ways in which she has won this season.

"Yeah, I don't think I can put a scale to what she's accomplished," LPGA pro Rose Zhang said. "That's honestly just such an incredible feat. There is only one Nelly Korda, and I think she really shows how she's the best right now in the game. Even growing up I've always watched her play. There was obviously something special about her. So to see her do all that she's done, especially the last four events, it's been really inspiring. It's so difficult and it's so rare."

After tying for 16th in the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in Orlando, Florida, on Jan. 21, Korda won the next week at the LPGA Drive On Championship in Bradenton, Florida. She came back from a 3-stroke deficit by carding an eagle and birdie on the final two holes to force a playoff. She defeated Lydia Ko on the second playoff hole to win in her hometown.

Korda skipped the LPGA Tour's Asian swing and took seven weeks off from competition. When she returned in late March, she battled Augusta National-like winds and chilly temperatures on the West Coast at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship. Korda made bogeys on her last two holes to fall into a playoff, in which she beat Ryann O'Toole on the first extra hole with a 12-foot birdie. Korda returned to No. 1 in the world for the sixth time in her career.

The next week at the Ford Championship presented by KCC in Gilbert, Arizona, Korda posted a 7-under 65 in the final round -- in steady rain no less -- to win her third straight tournament by 2 strokes. She became the first American women's golfer to get to three victories before April 1 since JoAnne Carner in 1980.

Two weeks ago at the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards in Las Vegas, Korda struggled early in the 54-hole stroke play competition to even advance to the match-play knockout rounds. She carded a 1-over 73 in each of the first two rounds before rallying for a 3-under 69 in the final round. She beat Angel Yin and Narin An to advance to a championship match against Ireland's Leona Maguire . Korda took four of the first seven holes and won the match 4 and 3 .

"This is definitely one of the best stretches I think a player has played in my 11 years on tour," said Ko, a 20-time winner on the LPGA Tour. "For her to win the second event of the year and have eight weeks off and win the next three, I was like, 'Man, I shouldn't have played, all playing for second place.'"

Korda's ballstriking has been on another level during her winning streak. Among golfers with at least 30 rounds played, she ranks first on the LPGA in strokes gained: total (2.76) and tee to green (2.21) and second around the green (.78). She is 10th off the tee (.76) and 17th in approach (.93).

Her putting isn't statistically as good (she ranks 46th in strokes gained on the greens) but she has made plenty of clutch putts to win.

"I'm not surprised, I will tell you that," U.S. Solheim Cup team captain Stacy Lewis said. "It's very impressive. Four very different golf courses, and the three weeks in a row I think was the most impressive. The amount of energy it takes to do that, I thought you would've maybe seen a little drop in play at match play just getting a little bit more tired.

"But the ballstriking has always been so good for her. Short game gets a little better, the confidence to be in that position. I think that's what you're seeing more now. ... I knew it was just going to be a matter of time."

Some of the most accomplished PGA Tour stars have envied Korda's silky-smooth and seemingly effortless swing.

When she competed with PGA Tour players at the QBE Shootout in Naples, Florida, in December 2022, Kevin Kisner called her the "Tiger Woods of the LPGA Tour." After watching her play, Max Homa said, "I don't know how she does not win every week."

At the PNC Championship, another exhibition that teams pros with their parents or children, Jordan Spieth said he told his father, Shawn, to "swing like Nelly."

"It's like playing with Adam Scott ," Spieth said, comparing Korda to the 2013 Masters champion, who is known for his nearly flawless swing.

In a perfect world, young golfers everywhere would be trying to "swing like Nelly"-- just like they're now trying to make 3-pointers like former Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark , whose sharp-shooting the past three seasons brought record TV ratings to the NCAA women's basketball tournament.

The LPGA is hoping that Korda's success and the growing popularity of women's sports can help it expand. The final two rounds of the Chevron Championship were broadcast on NBC for the first time last year and coverage will extend from four hours to six this year. There's also 40 hours of coverage of featured groups on ESPN+. Other non-major tournaments are broadcast on tape delay or only on streaming.

"I feel like we just need a stage," Korda said. "We need to be put on TV. I feel like when it's tape delay or anything like that, that hurts our game. Women's sports just needs a stage. If we have a stage we can show up and perform and show people what we're all about."

LPGA commissioner Mollie Marcoux Samaan recognizes the unique opportunity her tour must take advantage of. During a news conference at the Chevron Championship on Tuesday, she noted that the LPGA didn't have a marketing department not long ago.

Now, it has four or five people helping publicize the tour's stars. She said weekly social engagement numbers have improved from about four million a week in 2022 to about 11.6 million this year. The LPGA will roll out a new website this fall.

Along with the four remaining major championships and the upcoming Olympics in Paris and another Solheim Cup in Gainesville, Virginia, later this summer, Korda will have plenty of opportunities in the spotlight.

"We always talk about exposure and investment," Marcoux Samaan said. "Those are the things we need right now. There is no doubt that the product is world class. I mean, from Nelly Korda to Lilia [Vu] to Lydia, just down the leaderboard, these are the very best women in the world. So our job is to make sure people know who they are and make sure people can see them."

Whether Korda knows it or not, part of that burden falls on her shoulders, according to Lewis.

"I think Nelly does have a responsibility, and she probably doesn't always want it, just knowing her," Lewis said. "But it's saying, yes. Continuing to play great golf though is No. 1. That's what helps our tour the most is her playing great golf. I would tell her to remember that. I would tell her to do as much extra stuff as you can for us."

At times, Korda has been a reluctant superstar. This week, she has talked often about staying in her "bubble" to avoid distractions, even if she understands her power to influence the next generation of women's golfers. If Korda keeps winning, perhaps it won't be too long before young girls are trying to "swing it like Nelly" around the world.

"It's an inspiration," Korda said. "I'm hopefully inspiring the next generation and hopefully it promotes the game. Hopefully we continue to climb up. I just hope I show people how much I enjoy being out here week in and week out competing against all the girls, practicing, and hopefully that drives more attention to us.

"Listen, I feel like for me, the way that I promote the game is just the way I am. I'm very true to myself. I'm never going to do something I'm not really comfortable with. Obviously, I love seeing all the kids and I love promoting the game. I mean, there is nothing that I enjoy more. I'm always going to stay true to myself, and hopefully that way I do promote the game."

Nelly Korda’s record-tying win streak resonates with Scottie Scheffler, TOUR pros

Nelly Korda celebrates after winning The Chevron Championship. (Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)

Despite four wins in five starts, Scottie Scheffler says his run doesn’t compare

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After winning the RBC Heritage in a Monday finish, Scottie Scheffler was asked if he felt a sense of competition between himself and Nelly Korda. It was a fair question, as the top-ranked men’s and women’s players have gone on simultaneous tears this spring. Scheffler has won four of his last five TOUR starts, finishing second in the other, while Korda tied an LPGA record Sunday by winning her fifth straight start at The Chevron Championship.

Yet despite being amidst a historic run as the first player since Tiger Woods (2007-08) to record five straight top-two finishes on TOUR, Scheffler didn’t see his stretch as comparable.

“One of the people here asked me, like, ‘Is this turning into a competition between you and Nelly?’ and I was like, I don't know, man, I think if it's a competition, she's got me pretty beat right now,” Scheffler said Monday. “Five wins in a row … it's pretty special stuff. To win four times in a row and then show up at a major championship and win is extremely impressive. So I'm extremely happy for her.”

Scheffler joked that Korda’s season-opening T16 finish was “just terrible; I can’t believe she did that” – clearly in jest – as the top-ranked women’s pro has since taken flight with victories at the LPGA Drive On Championship, Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship, Ford Championship, T-Mobile Match Play and The Chevron Championship, the latter four of which have occurred in the last five calendar weeks.

With Sunday’s victory at the LPGA’s first major championship of 2024, Korda tied Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez with wins in five straight LPGA starts. Only three players have authored such streaks on TOUR: Tiger Woods, Byron Nelson and Ben Hogan.

Woods won five straight starts across 2007-08, six straight across 1999-2000, and seven straight across 2006-07. Hogan won six straight starts in 1948. Nelson won a record 11 consecutive starts in 1945.

Korda’s run – which Scheffler would’ve paralleled if not for a one-stroke defeat to Stephan Jaeger at last month’s Texas Children’s Houston Open – holds a well-earned spot in golf history. Scheffler and his fellow TOUR pros have taken notice. Wyndham Clark called Korda’s run “amazing” after the RBC Heritage’s final round, and J.T. Poston described it as “hard to fathom.”

Last fall, Korda teamed with Tony Finau at the mixed-team Grant Thornton Invitational, finishing T4. Finau came away impressed, in a way foreshadowing what was to come.

"In a sense, to me, I look up to Nelly," Finau said at the time. "Even though she’s younger than me, she’s an incredible golfer. She’s been the No. 1 player in the world in the women’s game, and she’s someone that I think quite frankly a lot of us can still even learn from, even on the men’s side."

After winning the Corales Puntacana Championship on Sunday for his eighth TOUR title, Billy Horschel threaded the runs of Korda and Scheffler.

“I had a three-week stretch where I finished second, first, first and I thought I was something special at that time, but what Nelly and Scottie are doing is unreal,” said Horschel.

“I can't imagine that. And over a period of time, not just five weeks in a row, they've done over six, seven, eight weeks. I mean, it's unreal golf. And to think about who they're playing against in today's generation of more talented players and doing what they're still doing, man, I'd say we're not going to see anything like that again, but I'm sure we will. You just have to stand up and applaud them because it's pretty special. You know, as a golf fan, I'm just lucky to be able to see that because at the end of the day, I'm a golf fan at heart.”

And fans have lately witnessed two generational superstars playing some of the best golf possible.

“I think we’ve all seen the golf swing; I wish I could see it more in person,” Scheffler said of Korda. “Obviously some great golf, some historic stuff, and hopefully she keeps it up.”

Miles Russell is in no rush: Jacksonville Beach native will maintain amateur, junior schedule

Russell, 15, is playing his second korn ferry tour event in a row this week at veritex bank championship near dallas.

Miles Russell is still an amateur golfer and intends to remain so for the foreseeable future. 

Russell, the 15-year-old Jacksonville Beach native who became the youngest player in history to finish among the top 20 in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event last week at the Korn Ferry Tour's LECOM Suncoast Open, said he will keep to his junior and amateur schedule this summer, which will be capped by defending his title in the Junior Players Championship on Labor Day weekend at the Players Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. 

"That's the plan," he said Wednesday during a teleconference from the Veritex Bank Championship near Dallas, a tournament he's playing thanks to his tie for 20th last week at Lakewood National. The Korn Ferry Tour gives players who finish among the top 25 a spot in the next event on the schedule. "I'm planning to play to play the rest of the summer like I planned to ... a couple of junior, a couple of am events, see how it goes."

Regardless of how Russell plays this week or any additional pro events, Russell said he's not entertaining any thoughts of turning pro . His schedule includes events such as the Junior Players, U.S. Amateur, U.S. Junior, the Western Amateur, the North and South Amateur and a U.S. Open sectional qualifier, among other junior or amateur tournaments. 

"It's going to be a busy summer," he said. 

Russell also has a fall date on the PGA Tour: the Butterfield Bermuda Championship Nov. 14-17. Russell received an invitation to the FedEx Cup Fall tournament that will be reserved for the American Junior Golf Association Player of the Year. 

Miles Russell’s ‘wild ride’ 

Russell will tee off at 3:43 p.m. on Thursday off No. 1 at the Texas Rangers Golf Club in Arlington, Texas, and at 10:08 a.m. on Friday from the 10th tee. His playing partners are Callum McNeill of Scotland (30-years old) and David Bradshaw (40). 

Russell termed his last week "a wild ride," and it's no wonder. He first became the youngest player to ever make the cut on the Korn Ferry Tour (and the third-youngest to make a cut in a PGA Tour-sanctioned tournament), then had weekend rounds of 70-66 to climb 28 spots on the leaderboard. 

Russell said he's taking great satisfaction from earning his way into the Veritex Championship after playing in the LECOM Open on a sponsor invitation. 

"Earning something feels better than getting an exemption," he said. "You know what you practiced for and what you live for and that's what you did." 

He admitted that Sunday and Monday were exhausting days. Once he and his family knew he would finish among the top 25 while driving back to Jacksonville Beach, there were travel arrangements to be made and a new set of golf clothes to pack. 

"All the emotion and excitement and adrenaline, that travel from Sunday night to Monday until I got here ... it was a long, long day."

Russell said his goals this week are the same 

Russell said he likes the course and said the goal this week would be the same as last week. 

"Just tru to put ... two good rounds together and see where that puts us compared to the cut," he said. "If we make the cut, just try to have two more good rounds and see where that puts us." 

He said he's been surprised by the attention for his play at Lakewood National, which comes on the heels of a string of junior golf accomplishments, such as winning the Junior Players, the Junior PGA and being named the AJGA Player of the Year, along with making the Junior Ryder Cup team and the first USGA Junior National team.  

"If I had my choice I would not have any of it [the attention]," he said. "But it's kind of what happens when you play well so you kind of got to get used to it every once in a while. Everybody's been nice and easy to work with and hopefully it stays that way." 

Russell said being humble is in his nature. 

"I think that's kind of my personality," he said. "I don't like being showy with things, kind of like walking around a certain way. I like to just kind of go about my business and do my thing." 

He said he was surprised when there were autograph seekers following his final round on Sunday -- admitting he needs to improve his handwriting -- and said it was "really cool," to get a shoutout on X from World Golf Hall of Fame member and fellow left-handed golfer Phil Mickelson.  

"I've looked up to him," he said. "Going to The Players, I always watched him." 

Russell praises caddie/teacher’s influence 

Russell said his support team of parents Joe and Kelli and caddie Ramon Bescansa have helped him concentrate on golf as best he can, given sudden media requests and fan attention. 

He said Bescansa, his swing instructor since he was 7 years old, is a calming influence as a caddie. 

"He's the nicest, most positive guy you'll ever meet," he said. "The vibes he puts off ... when you're on the golf course that's all you need. He can flip the mood and get you going [and] his knowledge of golf is on a different level." 

Russell also predicted he won't be the last 15-year-old to make such a splash. 

"Everybody has access to a ton of stuff ... launch monitors, some of the best coaches ... the equipment companies are starting to help younger kids out with gloves, balls ... all the stuff ... having the right clubs to fit into," he said. "Everbody's just so talented. There's so many ways to be good and everybody's finding every little detail to be good at it, or try to be the best."