World No. 1 Nelly Korda was a teenager when she played in her first major, the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open at Sebonack Golf Club.
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Back then, Inbee Park had won the first two majors of the year—the then-Kraft Nabisco and LPGA Championship—and was going for three consecutive wins in New York. And she pulled that off, becoming only the second LPGA Tour player, along with Babe Zaharias (1950) to achieve the triple. (Mickey Wright won four straight over two seasons in 1961-62.)
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The 27-year-old Korda can join those greats with a victory this week at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minn. She was there at Sebonac, but she doesn’t remember that part of the week. To be fair, she was a wide-eyed 14-year-old amateur trying to find her way among the professionals.
“I was so mesmerized by being there,” Korda said on Tuesday. “I remember making the cut on the number. There was a fog delay, and I was late/early and I was on the number. I had a really good first day and then the second day I think I shot like between four and six over, I’m not sure.”
For the record, she shot 73-77 to reach the weekend and then scored 79-81 to finish up.
In the final round, Korda reached a drivable par 4 and made the eagle putt. Recalling that now, she said, “I said in this interview, ‘You’ve just got to risk it to get the biscuit.’ That was my first, like, quote. Now, I look back at it and I’m, like, ‘Oh, my God, I am a dork. I’ve always been a dork.”
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A self-proclaimed dork that’s also one of the best women golfers in history. This season, Korda has won the Chevron Championship at Memorial Park and the U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club and now has four major titles. If she wins the Women’s PGA this week, she’ll also earn the final two points required of the 27 to get into the LPGA Hall of Fame.
The question is undoubtedly when, not if, Korda will qualify for the hall of fame this season. Korda has four wins and eight top-10s in nine starts this year. She has 19 career victories and a chance to earn many lofty distinctions. She can also complete the career Grand Slam with a win overseas, either in the AIG Women’s British Open or the Evian Championship next month.
Winning the initial three majors of the year would be awfully special.
“I’m just out here trying to play golf for sure,” Korda said. “I think I have a very in-the-moment mindset this year, which I’m just trying to take toward the end of the year. No matter what happens, I’ve just told myself if I’m lifting the trophy, that is obviously the main goal at the end the week. But I’m going to prepare and focus on my preparation and know that I’m 100% confident in it and lean on that.”
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After a winless but very good season last year, Korda is back to her winning ways, just like in 2024. That year, she won seven tournaments, including the Chevron Championship. She won five consecutive events as well.
She’s back on a heater again, and World No. 5 Lottie Woad is impressed with what she’s done.
“I think just how consistent she’s been. Obviously getting the wins is great, but she’s been consistently up there and contending for those wins and kind of showing the more times you put yourself up there, you’re going to obviously get more wins,” Woad said. “Definitely just trying to do that and just put myself in those positions as well.”
Korda can lean on her knowledge of Hazeltine as she tied for third when the Women’s PGA was there in 2019. Hannah Green won that major, but everyone is chasing Korda now.
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The tour is hopeful to capitalize on Korda’s increasing megawatt star power. Can she become a one-name, household celebrity? She’s already got celebrity friends like Tiger Woods and LeBron James cheering her on and messaging her support.
The LPGA’s recent one-day media tour for Korda in New York made a big splash, and if she wins again on Sunday, they’ll surely be making plans for hall of fame parties and late-night talk shows and perhaps more brand deals. These types of stars and seasons don’t come around often.
“I’m so proud of the steps the tour has taken this year,” LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler said at a news conference on Tuesday. “Let’s start with Nelly. Nelly is off to a great start. She’s won four times on tour. She won two majors in a row. Guess what she did after the U.S. Women’s Open? She stayed true to her commitment to play in the Dow Championship with Olivia Cowan, one of her best friends. Have deep respect for someone who has loyalty both to the Tour, to our sponsors, and to friends in creating opportunities like she did for Olivia.
“The following Monday she went to New York. She got on a plane and went to the “Today Show.” We went on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange with CNBC. We surprised Nelly at Times Square, and there were a bunch of girls from the U.S. Girls’ Golf program wearing T-shirts. These are the types of things we need our athletes to do in order to have transcendent stars that cut through sports and find their way into culture. She did it. She’s doing it.”
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