Will Nelly Korda’s Health Be Compromised After Ducking Into the New Poppie’s Pond?

It is the second year of the Chevron Championship to be played on The Club at Carlton Woods after it moved from its historical venue, the Mission Hills Country Club. As the tournament organizers signed a 10-year-long contract with The Club, the women’s major will be hosting a couple more of its editions in Houston.

Even though the first women’s major saw a shift in the venue, the traditions of the Chevron Championship were still kept alive at the Jack Nicklaus Signature Course. It was not the Poppies Pond from Mission Hills, despite that Lilia Vu upheld the champion’s tradition of taking a dip in the pond next to the 18th green after defeating Angel Yin in the playoffs in 2023. This year, Nelly Korda cannonballed her way into the cold water after her historical major victory. But was it safe for the 13-time LPGA Tour winner’s health?

In 2023, when the Chevron Championship moved states, the matter of keeping the Poppie’s Pond tradition alive was questioned. Because, unlike the pristine water at the pond in Mission Hills, the natural lake at the Club at Carlton Woods was murky and looked dangerous. There had been a risk of encountering reptiles like snakes and alligators. And even fans found the water to be dangerous.

However, the club’s general manager, Stephen Salzman, revealed that before the Chevron Championship was held in 2023, all the health measures were taken care of. From engineering issues to agronomy, everything was checked by the Club’s team, who made sure it would be safe for the players.

Moreover, on account of an alligator attack, Salzman explained that there has been only one gator sighting in ten years near The Club’s pond but as a safety measure, they have installed a gator net and Golf Digest’s Amy Roger confirmed that the net was placed in 2024 as well. The nets would keep the pond gator-free but what about the snakes? Which can slither into the ‘new’ Poppie Pond despite the installation of the nets. So, although there have been many safety measures taken by the organization, the risk of a snake bite or any other unexpected natural phenomenon cannot be dismissed.