She came heartbreakingly close. Coming this close to a third major win and then losing just by a few strokes is painful. Nelly Korda finished T2 at the U.S. Women’s Open this year. She had her form, everything was going great, but she just couldn’t get the hang of putting. “I wasn’t hitting bad putts… they just weren’t falling like my — out here, especially with it getting tougher every single day,” she said after the final round. The loss was heartbreaking for her.“I mean, definitely it’s gotten my heart broken a couple times… definitely put a dagger into my heart.” She’s had a big year so far, recently marking her 100th week as World No. 1, but finishing tied for 2nd at the U.S. Women’s Open really hurt. Still, Korda knows how to take big defeats after all she’s in that elite circle of legends. “It’s also super motivating. Yeah, it’s definitely motivating to see where my game’s at, but hopefully I can continue trending in the right direction for a long season ahead.” She was still proud that she made it to second and knew her form was still solid, and with the same form, she is now headed to the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.Just to be prepared for the KPMG Korda missed the Meijer LPGA Classic, which was a big step, but that was not the only thing she missed; she also missed the KPMG Champions dinner. After her win in 2021, she could not make it to the dinner due to Covid, but last year she did attend the dinner for the first time “it was nice. Very intimate. It was actually my first time doing a champion’s dinner, It was cool to get us all in a room with everyone.” She found last year’s dinner cute and intimate, sounds like she had fun, but this year’s dinner was missed. What could be the reason for missing such a big event?Late last night, Jessica Korda posted an Instagram story saying, “Aunty Nelly? Hello?” — a hint that she’s flying to Texas to support her sister. Nelly replied, “Can’t wait to see you!!!! Both.” Could this be the reason she missed the championship dinner? We don’t know for sure, as Nelly hasn’t said anything yet. But we all know how big of a family person she is, and the bond she shares with her sister is rare. Another possible reason could be that she might have just been too overwhelmed to attend the dinner. View this post on Instagram A post shared by KPMG Women’s PGA Championship (@kpmgwomenspga)Just a few days ago, in an interview, she admitted that at one point she was so scared of the challenges that she thought of quitting golf altogether. “There were a lot of hurdles, you know, from that age to even 17, where I thought I was going to have to quit golf.” Nelly is emotionally connected to the game in her family; sports isn’t just an activity, it’s a tradition. Maybe the pressure, or the fear of getting mentally distracted from the game by going to the dinner, could’ve played a part in her decision to skip it.Regardless, Korda isn’t the only one to take such steps in the pursuit of a title, who is also Nelly’s biggest rival on the course.Lydia Ko, the biggest threat to Nelly KPMG Win…Lydia Ko’s hunt for a career Grand Slam might have hit a bump at the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open, where she finished tied for 26th at +3, but her fire hasn’t faded one bit. In fact, it’s burning stronger. She, like Korda, chose to skip the Meijer LPGA Classic, saving her energy for the majors. For Lydia, it’s not just about another trophy; it’s about completing a legacy.Her form this season proves she’s not backing down. With a second-place finish at the Founders Cup and a T6 at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, she’s still playing world-class golf. And with two majors already to her name, Lydia’s hunger for that missing piece, the KPMG PGA Championship, is real.That same hunger could stand right in the way of Nelly Korda’s hopes of adding another major to her name. With Ko’s eyes locked on history and her game trending in the right direction, she could very well be the biggest threat to Korda’s KPMG dream.With all the tea and drama brewing off the course, stay tuned for their tee times and pairing updates; this major is just getting started.The post Why Was Nelly Korda Missing From the Champions Dinner at the 2025 KPMG PGA Championship? appeared first on EssentiallySports.