Nelly Korda joins the greats of the game
One of Nelly Korda’s greatest moments – victory in her own national open – image Logan Whitton USGA
In a career beginning to match some of the greats of the female game, 27-year-old Nelly Korda has today won her 20th LPGA Tour title and her 4th major championship with a nail-biting finish to the US Women’s Open at the Riviera Country Club.
Korda’s domination of the current game is best told by her statistics thus far in 2026, winning four times and runner-up on three other occasions in just eight starts, but it will be today’s victory in her own national open, which will no doubt mean so much to her.
Korda’s win and the accompanying US$2.5 million first-place cheque will take her career earnings to US$21,496,000, and behind only the great Annika Sorenstam and Lydia Ko in career earnings on the LPGA Tour.
Korda now has 20 LPGA Tour victories, and although some 52 behind the amazing record of Sorenstam, when you consider that 11 of Korda’s 20 wins have come in the last two years, tells the story of someone who, at just 27 years of age, has a lot more to give in terms of success, provided she retains the motivation.
The victory completed a remarkable comeback from an opening round of 73 to be in 56th position after the opening day, but rounds of 67, 67 and 69 were good enough to emerge from a gripping battle.
Korda becomes the first player to win back-to-back major titles since Lydia Ko achieved a similar feat in 2015, further highlighting the competitive nature of major championship golf on the LPGA Tour.
Becoming aware of the magnitude of the moment – image Logan Whitton USGA
Tied for the lead at 6 under with Sei Young Kim as the final group headed out on a breezy but fine day and on a golf course getting firmer by the hour, others would join the fray and when the final group reached the 10th tee, Charley Hull, playing 30 minutes ahead of the final group had taken the lead at 8 under and one ahead of Korda, Kim and former winner, Ingee Chun.
Two other players were at 6 under, and just two from the lead, and so the final nine holes were shaping as one of the most exciting shootouts in the history of the event.
Chun took the lead when she birdied the 10th and 11th to move to 9 under, one ahead of Hull and ahead on the golf course, Gaby Lopez joined the lead at various stages when she moved to 7 under through 13 holes.
It was hard to know where to look given the congested and volatile nature of the leaderboard, but with Hull dropping shots in the early part of the back nine and Lopez three putting the 16th, Korda, after her length had worked to her advantage, birdied the 17th with a crucial 9 foot putt, and reached the last needing a par to stay ahead of Hull, Lopez and Chun.
Korda hit a magnificent drive and was left with just 136 yards. She found the green at the par 4 but still had work to do to two-putt and avoid a playoff. Her first putt was 3 feet from the hole, but she managed to find the resolve to hole it and take the coveted title.
Korda won by one over Hull and Lopez with Chun alone in 4th place, just two from the winner.
“I really don’t have any words, said Korda. “I mean, that 14-year-old girl that stepped on the range at Sebonack in 2013, I mean, her dream has just come true sitting next to this trophy right now.
“It’s really hard to put into words. This week was definitely a grind. I don’t even feel like I had my B game (laughing). I was just grinding out there. And that’s what I guess major championships are all about, right? It doesn’t matter if you have your B or C game; you have to be there mentally.
Yeah, I always felt like I emphasized the Women’s Open so much, like that’s where my dream started of playing on the LPGA.
Every year I have never played well. I was always over par, or I made a mess of a hole at Lancaster, and I just felt like that dream was almost kind of like slipping away. But it was still keeping me very much so motivated.
Being in the chase at Erin Hills, I kind of turned the corner of, okay, like can I be in the hunt, I can do this, I can play, and I can contend at a U.S. Women’s Open. I can put the dream aside and focus on what’s right in front of me. I really tried to focus on that today.
“When I entered the back nine, all Jay (Caddie Jason) and I were talking about was one shot at a time. Not getting too ahead of myself. Not looking at the leaderboard, seeing what other people were doing. It was just a shot at a time.”
When asked just how this win might impact her career legacy, Korda responded;
“I’ve never really thought about the legacy of my career, if I’m being completely honest. I just really love competing, and I love being in this position of sometimes having a big lead going into Sunday and/or being tied for the lead and having to absolutely grind it out.
“Like I didn’t feel my best on the back nine. I had a lot of emotions kind of swirling in my stomach. I would say it’s just a dream come true. I have dreamt about this moment since I was a little girl. I watched my sister compete in the Women’s Open from a really young age. I mean, she started at the age of 15.
“So it’s just been, it’s honestly just a dream come true sitting next to this trophy.”
Karis Davidson completed a great debut US Women’s Open week when she finished as the equal leading Australian, once again fighting back with a final hole birdie as she had one yesterday to finish in a share of 22nd with fellow Australian Grace Kim.
Davidson had once again started her round well and reached the 11th tee at 1 under for the day and for the tournament before dropping four shots in four holes, perhaps falling victim to the toll such an impressive debut took out of her. Her birdie at the last however was just reward, both she and Kim earning US$133,000
That pair finished one ahead of Australian heavyweights Minjee Lee and Hannah Green.
