CHASKA, Minn. – With sincere apologies to the 155 players on the field in this week’s game KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine National, one story stands out above all others.
You can blame Nelly Korda for that.
Korda has already won the first two majors of 2026 Chevron Championship AND Women’s US Open – and she is now trying to win a third in a row.
With a win this week, she would become just the third player to win the first three championships of the season (and the first since Inbee Park in 2013). But just as important, she would take her place in the LPGA Hall of Fame. The LPGA has a unique points system for gaining entry into its hall — no vote required — and a big win this week would be worth two points, which would be enough to give Korda the 27 she needs.
Nelly Korda, to remember, is still only 27 years old.
“I think this year I have a very temporary mindset, which I’m trying to keep toward the end of the year,” Korda said Wednesday. “No matter what happens, I just said to myself if I’m lifting the trophy – like, obviously that’s the main goal at the end of the week – I’m going to prepare or focus on my preparation and I know I’m 100 per cent confident in it and rely on it.”
Korda has been fantastic this season, just like two years ago when he won seven times. Last year she never missed a cut and had nine top-10 finishes but failed to win. This year? She is back to lifting trophies.
In her first eight starts of the season, she won four times and was runner-up three times. She also tied for eighth once. it the worst the start of the year came two weeks ago when she played the Dow Championship, a team event, with friend Olivia Cowan and tied for 17th.
Korda leads the LPGA in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green and Off the Tee. She is second in SG: Approach and third in SG: Around the Greens. Even putting it at 22.
And perhaps most importantly, she’s entering this week refreshed. She was tired and didn’t sleep well at Dow, and left Michigan for NYC for her delayed US Women’s Open media tour after the tournament Sunday night. She spent that Monday in NYC, made an appearance on the “Today” show, stopped by the New York Stock Exchange and caught a late flight home to Florida. She took Tuesday off and returned to practice on Wednesday. She landed in Minnesota on Sunday, played nine on Monday, 18 on Tuesday and front nine on Wednesday.
She then met with the media to talk about what it’s like to deal with this kind of pressure. One thing may help: if she is not aware of what is at stake, what is there to worry about? Korda admitted Wednesday that he had no idea how many points were needed to get into the Hall of Fame (27) or how many there are (25).
This is by design.
“I like to be oblivious to it that way,” said Korda, who begins her first round at 9:17 a.m. Thursday. “I know a lot about the things I want to know, but this, I don’t want to put extra pressure on myself. I feel like the game of golf is already hard enough. If I put more pressure on myself, then it’s going to be even harder. I think it’s an amazing accomplishment and it would be one of the best accomplishments of my career, for sure.”
