Four wins. One major. One trip to the top of the podium. And the current world #1.
Brand Ambassador Nelly Korda has had a season to remember – and then some. From winning in just her second start of 2021 at February’s Gainbridge LPGA, to last weekend’s dramatic playoff win at the Pelican Women’s Championship – “It doesn't even feel like a season. I feel like it’s two seasons,” Nelly said Sunday after winning with a birdie on the first hole of a four-way playoff. “I feel like Lake Nona was a couple years ago now. It’s crazy.”
Four wins, one major championship, and one trip to the top of the podium later, all eyes are on Nelly this week as she looks to capture the Race to the CME Globe, and along with it Player of the Year honors.
But before she heads to Tiburon’s first tee Thursday morning, we’re diving into her bag and getting the inside scoop from our Tour reps on why Nelly games her setup.
Pro V1 
The ball that’s been there throughout all of Nelly’s wins on Tour? Her tried and trusted Pro V1.
Nelly put the 2021 Pro V1 in play – along with her TSi1 driver – the same week she won the Gainbridge LPGA at Lake Nona. Since then, she’s won three more times with the model.
“Nelly immediately felt like new Pro V1 was coming off the face a little faster and giving her the slightly higher flight and lower spin that she’d been wanting to see in the long game,” said Jeff Beyers of Titleist Golf Ball R&D. “She was also testing a new driver and loved the performance and numbers she was seeing from that combination.”
“When I tested it, I got a few more yards off of it and the spin went down. I just put it in right away,” Nelly said.
TSi1 Driver – 10.0°
Not only was Nelly the first player to win with a TSi1 driver, she was the first player on a major professional tour to put the TSi1 (or prior generation model) in play. TSi1, an ultra-lightweight driver typically designed for players with moderate swing speeds, found its way into Nelly’s bag after working with Titleist Tour rep JJ Van Wezenbeeck on a trip to the Titleist performance institute.
“Initially, we were very close with TSi2 and she was gaining up to 5mph of additional ball speed. But Nelly has a slight tendency to miss on the heel and Stephanie Luttrell, Titleist’s Director of Metalwood Product Development, suggested that the TSi1 head – with its CG properties being closer to face center – could help improve strike location and provide the extra forgiveness she needed on those swings,” said Van Wezenbeeck.
TSi2 Fairways – 16.5° and 21°
T100 irons – 5 iron through Pitching Wedge
Vokey SM8 Wedges – 50.08F, 54.10S, 58.08M
Nelly has worked with Vokey Wedges tour rep Aaron Dill multiple times this season at the Titleist Performance Institute, dialing in her three-wedge setup. AD gave us the lowdown on the lofts, grinds and bounces of Nelly’s wedges after she won the Meijer LPGA Classic earlier this summer – the same specs she gamed this past weekend in Tampa.
Scotty Cameron Special Select Squareback 2 Tour Prototype 
If you caught the end of last week’s LPGA event, you know that Nelly’s Scotty Cameron Special Select Squareback 2 gamer was hot. She sunk a 21-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole of regulation to force a four-way playoff, followed up by another 23 footer for birdie to win on the first playoff hole.
Nelly first put the Squareback 2 model play for the first time at the Meijer LPGA Classic in June, following her missed cut at the U.S. Women’s Open. Said Nelly: “I think that was kind of my turning point where I just kind of changed my demeanor a little out there. I was really disappointed after that missed cut. I kind of turned it on after that.” She finished the Meijer LPGA at 25 under and won by two.
Korda – whose sister and fellow Titleist Brand Ambassador, Jessica, also plays a Squareback 2 – had won all of her previous LPGA titles with the same Scotty Cameron Select Concept 2 tour prototype, a Newport 2-style head with a GSS insert. She has always preferred the look of Scotty Cameron blades and has used a blade-style putter most of her career but was looking for a change that could offer a different feel and help provide better distance control. For players that gravitate to a blade but want to look down at a more confidence-inspiring shape, the Squareback 2 offers the best of both those worlds. It sets up like Korda’s blade models of the past but is larger front-to-back so it provides a slightly more forgiving look. Korda also likes how easy she’s able to line up the Squareback 2 with its extended alignment line.
Wishing the best of luck to Nelly and all of Team Titleist competing this week in the final event of the LPGA season! It’s going to be a race to the finish at Tiburon.
To see what else Team Titleist has in the bag this week at the CME Group Tour Championship, visit Titleist.com.