Nelly Korda has moved to within one point of the LPGA Hall of Fame without even touching her clubs this fall.
The 28-year-old Korda clinched player of the year honors Tuesday — her second win in three years, and with it moved to 26 points for her career. To qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame, players must have 27 points.
It was all made possible by Korda’s dominant, eight-month start to the year.
She won the LPGA’s opening event at Lake Nona, overcoming fierce conditions to claim the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions.
It was her first of four wins in 2026, including back-to-back major wins at the Chevron and U.S. Women’s Open.
The latter was her signature moment of the season. Korda sealed her victory in dramatic fashion on the 18th hole at Riviera.
“You just never know,” Korda said after her fourth major championship in June. “It’s golf. Like on the last hole here, I was humbled by golf there. I had a pretty smooth day and on the last hole just kind of like humbles you a little bit.”
Korda spoke about having time off to “smell the roses for a few days” after her breakthrough win in LA but wound up flying across the country to do a media tour in New York City.
Like she has in years past, Korda did finally manage to find a long layoff to rest and enjoy the accomplishments from her year.
After representing the U.S. at the 2026 Solheim Cup in the Netherlands, Korda has yet to play another round of competitive golf.
She’s set to end that extended break at next week’s Annika at Pelican Golf Club in her home state of Florida. Also on her fall docket is the CME Group Tour Championship in Naples.
A season built on the biggest stages. 🏆@NellyKorda is your 2026 @ROLEX Player of the Year. pic.twitter.com/zjFDyomQXs
— LPGA (@LPGA) November 3, 2026
How she won
Korda might have had to wait another week — and return to the course — to clinch the year-end honors had it not been for an injury to Haeran Ryu.
The South Korean native and two-time major winner in 2026 had to withdraw from last week’s Maybank Championship in Malaysia due to a strained ligament in her finger.
Further assisting Korda in the award process were the decisions from Miyu Yamashita and Jeeno Thitikul to not enter the Annika next week in Florida. That left both players mathematically unable to catch Korda.
Thitikul, who entered the year as the world’s top-ranked player, has also found the winner’s circle four times this year. However, the Thailand native is still in search of the first major championship of her career.
She will look to defend her title at the season-ending Tour Championship at Tiburon Golf Club beginning Nov. 19.
Yamashita, who just won for the third time this year at the Maybank, has moved to No. 4 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings behind Ryu.
China’s Ruoning Yin holds a very narrow lead over South Korea’s Hyo-Joo Kim for the No. 5 spot.
Kim won back-to-back times in March, defeating Korda at the Fortinet Founders Cup and the Ford Championship by one and two shots, respectively.
When she won the Rolex top honors in 2024, Korda also sealed the award with three events left on the LPGA schedule.
She could get her 27th career point — and get into the LPGA Hall of Fame — by winning either the Annika or the Tour Championship.
If she does make it this year, Korda will become the second-youngest player to be inducted. Inbee Park became a member at the age of 27.
