DANGEROUS RETURN: Nelly Korda Is shock as she hear the return of…

Nelly Korda is hoping to make it through the final two weeks of the LPGA season without a setback from her latest injury.

Korda, who has already wrapped up Player of the Year honors during a six-win season, missed the LPGA’s recent Asian swing because of a neck injury. She said she had been dealing with the issues for months.

“I think it was bothering me for a bit,” Korda told reporters Wednesday at The Annika. “I was really, really struggling with migraines the week of Solheim and the week after. The only way it wasn’t hurting was sleeping in a dark room. I think it just led to my injury.”

But Korda is back on the course after spending ample time with her training and recovery team. She said after her Wednesday pro-am round with WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark that she has only returned to playing over the past week and a half as she prepares for the final stretch of the season, with this week’s event in at Pelican Golf Club and next week’s $11 million season finale in Naples.

“The goal this week, obviously with having so much time off beforehand, is just to come out and play golf, to tee it up, and see how it goes,” she said. “I’m going to try my hardest. Going to go out, and obviously the No. 1 goal in the back of my head is lifting the trophy on Sunday. But I’m just happy to be out here and see how it goes.”

Interest in women’s sports has exploded recently with record TV ratings, attendance, revenue, sponsorships and franchise valuations across multiple sports properties. For the athletes, the money is starting to flow as well.

The world’s 15 highest-paid female athletes will earn an estimated $221 million in 2024, up 27% versus last year. Eleven athletes made at least $10 million, compared with six in 2023.