It’s official: Nelly Korda is back on top. Following him dominant victory in the Chevron Championship at Memorial Park in Houston on Sunday, Korda has regained the top spot in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Ranking.
Korda beat Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul, who had been No. 1 since early August last year. Thitikul then won twice in the fall of 2025, including the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship. She also added one Honda LPGA Thailand win two months ago.
But Thitikul has failed to finish in the top 10 in five events since her last win, which includes a rare loss at Chevron.
Korda, 27, dominated the tournament in 2024, winning seven times to cement her place as No. 1 of the world. But after a surprising 2025 that saw her without a win, she wrested the top spot from Thitikul last summer.
Korda never dropped below world number 2 and opened this season on a tear. After winning a weather-shortened season opener at the Tour of Champions at Hilton Grand Vacations, she was the runner-up in her next three starts leading up to the Chevron, where she won her third career race.
“Honestly, if (last year) taught me anything, it’s to just focus on myself, not listen to outside noise,” Korda said. “Every year is going to be so different. I love the game of golf and I feel like that really helps. I love to compete. If you come out here and you’re just focusing on a paycheck, then I feel like the times you’re not playing well and you put yourself down.”
With her win on Sunday, Korda became the first American player to win three majors since Meg Mallon in 2000.
“(The majors are) the reason I started playing this game,” Korda said. “I went to the 2013 US Women’s Open at Sebonack and that’s when I realized, like, this is what I want to do. You’re playing against the best players in the world, playing a challenging golf course that tests every part of your game, but it’s also mentally testing you. You go on the back end that Sunday you don’t feel big and you don’t feel big. Like right now the last thing I want to do is ha, I just feel sick to my stomach because there is such a rush of emotions.
“Even growing up watching my sister compete, the only time I saw her compete was at major championships,” she continued. “Then, like the people that you seemed to like Tiger — my sister is referring to our generation that is Tiger’s kids — and seeing the amazing shots and how much it means to every person that has come before us to win a major and then how much that has inspired other generations to keep wanting to go out and grind.”
