Amid Rumored Tensions, Nelly Korda Opens Up on Being Grouped With Charley Hull & Lexi Thompson

You know how awkward it gets when someone asks you about that dinner party where your friends had a massive argument? Well, that’s precisely what happened to Nelly Korda on Friday. She got asked about playing with Charley Hull and Lexi Thompson right after those two had their very public slow-play drama. And honestly? Her response was so diplomatically perfect, it could teach politicians a thing or two about dodging uncomfortable questions.

Nelly Korda’s glowing comments directly contradict the documented slow-play tensions that recently erupted between Charley Hull and Lexi Thompson on Thursday. On the eighth hole. Thompson took extensive time deliberating over a birdie putt from just under seven feet after her excellent approach shot landed her in prime scoring position. Meanwhile, Hull had already finished the hole at par and was visibly frustrated by the delay. Eyewitness accounts confirmed Hull’s irritation as she walked ahead to the ninth tee and sat on the grass, clearly agitated by Thompson’s deliberate pace.

But why was Hull so annoyed with slow play? We all know Hull has become the LPGA’s most vocal critic of pace problems, repeatedly calling for “ruthless” penalties, including Tour card suspension for repeat offenders. She’s described extended rounds as “ridiculous” and expressed sympathy for fans enduring five-and-a-half-hour spectacles. You must think that this might have ruined the group dynamic, but not as per Nelly.

During her Friday press conference at the U.S. Women’s Open, when asked about her group’s atmosphere, she delivered a masterclass in diplomatic deflection, or maybe she was being honest. “Yeah, it was great. I love playing in front of a crowd like this, and playing alongside Lexi and Charley was so much fun. I always enjoy playing with them,” Korda emphasized, painting a picture of perfect group harmony. Nelly herself isn’t a fan of slow play and calls it her biggest pet peeve.

To resolve the issue, LPGA implemented revolutionary 2025 reforms featuring graduated penalties, including one-stroke penalties for timing violations. Players now face fines for overages of 1-5 seconds and stroke penalties for delays exceeding 5 seconds. However, the U.S. Women’s Open operates under USGA guidelines that emphasize group position rather than individual shot timing. Consequently, behaviors that would trigger immediate penalties on tour become acceptable at majors.

Charley already sitting on 9 tee before Lexi's finished up putting on 8. pic.twitter.com/0Bc08GataY

— Meg Adkins (@megadkins_TFE) May 29, 2025

Korda’s diplomatic response becomes even more remarkable considering this context. She praised the “so much fun” atmosphere while knowing Hull’s well-documented frustration with slow play. Her emphasis on “always enjoying” playing with both competitors carefully avoided acknowledging the documented eighth-hole incident where Hull’s body language conveyed irritation.

Nelly Korda’s Friday response follows her established pattern of diplomatic handling when asked about Tour controversies.

How Nelly Korda navigates LPGA Tour politics

After her 2024 playoff victory over Lydia Ko at the LPGA Drive On Championship, which delayed Ko’s Hall of Fame induction, Korda addressed the situation directly: “I did send her a message after the playoff, though. We’ve been friends for a long time. She’s always someone that I enjoy talking to and playing with. There is no bad blood, I hope. On my side, there is not, but I don’t know about hers.”

Her approach consistently avoids inflammatory language and assigning blame, even in tense and competitive situations. When pressed about rivalries, Korda emphasizes separating competition from friendship: “When you play in playoffs, you kind of have to put that aside… Always have one goal in mind, and that’s to lift the trophy at the end of the playoffs, despite the off-course friendship.”

This pattern of acknowledging competitive realities while maintaining diplomatic language mirrors her response to Hull-Thompson perfectly. Her public statements consistently deflect personal drama while focusing on mutual respect and professionalism, establishing her as the Tour’s most diplomatically savvy player when handling controversial situations.

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