Nelly Korda Wins LPGA Player Of The Year Award To Close On Hall Of Fame

Nelly Korda holds the US Women's Open trophy — (Image credit: Getty Images)

Nelly Korda has clamed the LPGA 2026 Rolex Player of the Year award for the second time in her career - with still three events left in the season.

The 28-year-old enjoyed a stellar campaign with four victories including two Majors - the Chevron Championship and the US Women's Open.

The World No.1 also claimed the 2024 award with three events remaining in that season - she's the only woman to do that twice in the last decade.

Her latest Player of the Year award moves Korda just one point away from making it into the LPGA Hall of Fame.

With 239 points Korda is assured victory with a 63-point lead over Haeran Ryu, who now has just two events left on her schedule meaning a maximum of 60 points she could win with two victories.

Miyu Yamashita is third on 156 points and Jeeno Thitikul fourth on 155 despite also winning four times in 2026 - both women also have just two events left to play as neither entered The ANNIKA.

Korda will get her award on 17 November during the week of the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, with the good news coming just a day after she was granted another big honor in her home town in Florida.

The four-time Major winner was given the key to the city of Bradenton, where she was born and raised, on Monday - which was also renamed Nelly Korda Day in honor of the Olympic champion.

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Korda has had a brilliant season right from the very start when she claimed the Tournament of Champions in her first start of 2026.

She then reeled off three straight runners-up finishes before claiming the Chevron Championship - her third Major - and followed up with victory the very next week at the Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba.

Another Major followed in June when she held off Charley Hull to win the US Women's Open at Riviera before another great finish came at the AIG Women's Open with a T4 at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

Overall, Korda played 14 times, missing just one cut, with four wins, three runner-ups and three other top-eight finishes.

Korda leads the LPGA money list with $6,220,214 and in scoring with 69.38 but even more importantly she's now just a point away from making the LPGA Hall of Fame.

The 19-time tournament winner sits on 26 points now after getting one for winning Player of the Year, with 27 needed to get into the Hall of Fame.

Korda could confirm that this season by winning either The ANNIKA or CME Group Tour Championship, which both offer a Hall of Fame point for the champion.

Paul Higham is a sports journalist with over 20 years of experience in covering most major sporting events for both Sky Sports and BBC Sport. He is currently freelance and covers the golf majors on the BBC Sport website. Highlights over the years include covering that epic Monday finish in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor and watching Rory McIlroy produce one of the most dominant Major wins at the 2011 US Open at Congressional. He also writes betting previews and still feels strangely proud of backing Danny Willett when he won the Masters in 2016 - Willett also praised his putting stroke during a media event before the Open at Hoylake. Favourite interviews he's conducted have been with McIlroy, Paul McGinley, Thomas Bjorn, Rickie Fowler and the enigma that is Victor Dubuisson. A big fan of watching any golf from any tour, sadly he spends more time writing about golf than playing these days with two young children, and as a big fair weather golfer claims playing in shorts is worth at least five shots. Being from Liverpool he loves the likes of Hoylake, Birkdale and the stretch of tracks along England's Golf Coast, but would say his favourite courses played are Kingsbarns and Portrush.