Scottie Scheffler, Nelly Korda epic year sets duo up to make history at ESPY awards
Scottie Scheffler, Nelly Korda epic year sets duo up to make history at ESPY awards
ESPN and ABC have unveiled the annual ESPY award nominations for its Jul. 11 show, and four PGA Tour and LPGA players have received nominations.
Scottie Scheffler and Nelly Korda, the world's top-ranked players, each received a pair of nominations. Meanwhile, Lilia Vu and 2024 PGA Championship winner Xander Schauffele are up for one award.
The former Texas Longhorn is in contention for Best Male Athlete and Best Golfer. Korda is up for Best Female Athlete and in the Best Golfer category. Vu and Schauffele complete the four players for the Best Golfer.
Last year, Scheffler took home the Best Golfer Award, but will he retain that title? He is on quite the run in 2024, winning six times before Jul. 1, an incredible achievement last accomplished by Arnold Palmer in 1962.
The 28-year-old won four of eight PGA Tour Signature Events, his second Masters, and the 2024 Players Championship. He will also represent Team USA in Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games, joining Schauffele, Collin Morikawa, and Wyndham Clark.
As for Best Male Athlete, Scheffler has some staunch competition. Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, Los Angeles Dodgers superstar Shohei Ohtani, and Edmonton Oilers center Connor McDavid all received nominations for Best Male Athlete alongside Scheffler. All four have done tremendous things for their teams this past year, but can Scheffler become the first golfer since Tiger Woods to win this award?
Woods last won it in 2008, following his dramatic U.S. Open victory at Torrey Pines. He has won this award five times, the most of any athlete in ESPY history, per the PGA Tour.
With that said, Korda is also on a historic heater. She won five consecutive tournaments and tied for seventh at the Cognizant Founders Cup before earning her sixth victory of the year at the Mizuho Americas Open.
Like Scheffler, Korda will represent Team USA in Paris, joining Vu and Rose Zhang in the Women’s Golf Olympic Competition.
But Korda is up against some heavy hitters for the Best Athlete, Women’s Sports award. Iowa’s Caitlin Clark, tennis phenom Coco Gauff, and WNBA superstar A’ja Wilson, who plays for the Las Vegas Aces, all received nominations alongside Korda.
The last female golfer to take home this title was Annika Sörenstam in 2005 and 2006.
Last year marked the first time Best Female and Best Male Golfer were combined into one category. Korda and Schauffele were both nominated last year but fell to Scheffler. This will be Vu’s first ESPY nomination.
ABC will host ESPN’s annual award show on July 11 at 8 p.m. ET. Fans can vote for their favorites now through July 11 at 5 p.m. ET.
Savannah Leigh Richardson is a golf staff writer for SB Nation’s Playing Through. For more golf coverage, follow us @_PlayingThrough on all major social platforms. You can also follow her on Twitter @SportsGirlSL and Instagram @savannah_leigh_sports.