The final round of the LPGA season finale encapsulated Nelly Korda’s year. There was stagnation, moments of brilliance, a sense of challenge but, ultimately, no chance at a victory.
And so, on the heels of a historic, seven-win season, Korda went winless in 2025 — 0-for-20.
There were seven top-5s, nearly $2.8 million in earnings, and she was top 3 in multiple strokes-gained categories and scoring average. But, still …
She played Sunday in Naples, Florida, in the final pairing and alongside current world No. 1 Jeeno Thitikul, who took that crown from Korda in Augusta. Korda, however, was six shots back. And while Thitikul managed only a 1-under 35 on the front nine, Korda made one bogey and eights pars to lose ground.
She came home in 31, including a hole-out eagle from a fairway bunker on the par-4 11th (which drew applause from her playing competitor). Her 68, though, only matched Thitikul’s 68, and Korda finished a distant third place.
“Obviously, the main goal was to finish on top, but after my first day I did give it a run for it, even though the leaders were super far ahead. Always felt like I was playing catchup, in a sense,” said Korda, who went 71-64-65-68 at Tiburon Golf Club.
“Overall, yeah, another year. I’m grateful for it all. Grateful for the highs, lows, and grateful for my team.”
Asked about those highs and lows, Korda pointed to the U.S. Women’s Open — the title she most covets — as an example of both. “The adrenaline rush,” she said, “there is nothing like it.” It proved to be just a little too much, though, on the 72nd hole when, trying to catch leader and eventual winner Maja Stark, Korda smoked her second on the par-5 18th at Erin Hills through the green and into a valley — a dead zone.
“I actually hit that shot so good. Probably hit that shot the best that I did all year, and just because of the adrenaline I hit it probably, I don’t know, 10 yards too long and a little bit too left; was in the place that at the beginning of the week on Monday I was like, I cannot be here, and I was there,” she said this Sunday.
“So, if I could get one shot back [this season], that would be it.”
Korda’s third shot rolled back to her feet and her fourth ran across the green. She made bogey-6 and lost by three.
Korda’s peaks and valleys were less extreme this year. She didn’t miss any cuts and finished inside the top 10 in nearly half her starts. A year ago, she had those seven victories but also some notable missed cuts and wicked rounds, combined with multiple injury setbacks.
None of the consistency, however, added to victory in ‘25. Aside from the U.S. Women’s Open, she never contended in a major, opening her title defense at the Chevron in 77 before rallying to make the cut. She broke 70 only three times in 20 major rounds this year.
“The highs are probably like seeing like the great flashes in my game where I’m very excited about the work that I put in,” she said.
“Then some of the lows are like every girl can say out here, every pro can say that, you put so much time and effort into your craft and you just don’t play well. You just do it over and over and over again. Sometimes, you just go a little crazy.”
There’s still a couple more starts this year for Korda, who will compete with Denny McCarthy in the mixed-team Grant Thornton Invitational and alongside her father, Petr, in the PNC Championship.
Her 2026 LPGA campaign will likely begin Jan. 29 at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. Be it there or not until March, when the LPGA returns from its first Asia swing, the 27-year-old will push forward. She went winless in 2023, too.
“Success,” she said, “is never linear.” For Hall of Fame players, neither is failure.