Nelly Korda

2.1. Childhood and family

Nelly Korda is the daughter of retired Czech professional tennis players Petr Korda and Regina Rajchrtová. Her father, Petr Korda, is a Grand Slam champion, having won the 1998 Australian Open men's singles title. Her older sister, Jessica Korda, is also a professional golfer who competes on the LPGA Tour, making them one of only three pairs of sisters to have won titles in LPGA history. Her younger brother, Sebastian Korda, followed in their parents' footsteps as a professional tennis player, winning the 2018 Australian Open junior boys' title. The Korda family has achieved a unique "Family Slam" in Australia, with Petr winning the 1998 Australian Open in tennis, Jessica winning the Women's Australian Open in 2012, and Sebastian winning the 2018 Australian Open junior boys' tennis title, which Nelly completed by winning the Women's Australian Open in 2019.

4.1. Early career and first wins (2016-2018)

Korda started her professional journey in 2016 on the Symetra Tour, the developmental tour for the LPGA. She achieved her maiden professional victory at the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge, where she secured a three-stroke win over Wichanee Meechai with rounds of 68, 67, 69, and 66, totaling 14-under par. This strong performance allowed her to finish ninth on the Symetra Tour's money list, earning her LPGA Tour card for the 2017 season.

She transitioned to the LPGA Tour in 2017. Her first LPGA Tour title came on October 28, 2018, at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship in Taoyuan, Taiwan. This victory was particularly significant as it made Nelly and her sister, Jessica Korda, the third pair of sisters in LPGA history to win titles, joining the Jutanugarn sisters (Moriya and Ariya) and the Sörenstam sisters (Charlotta and Annika). Nelly won by two strokes over Minjee Lee, finishing at 13-under par with a score of 275.

4.2. 2019-2020: Continued success

Building on her initial success, Korda continued to perform consistently in 2019. After securing a runner-up finish at the CME Group Tour Championship and a solo third place at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions, she won the ISPS Handa Women's Australian Open on February 17, 2019. This victory completed a unique "Family Slam" in Australia, following her father Petr's 1998 Australian Open tennis title, her sister Jessica's 2012 Women's Australian Open title, and her brother Sebastian's 2018 Australian Open junior boys' tennis title. This win marked her fourth top-5 finish in her last five LPGA starts. As a result, on February 18, 2019, Korda entered the top 10 of the Women's World Golf Rankings for the first time, rising from 16th to 9th and becoming the second-highest ranked American golfer, trailing only Lexi Thompson, who was ranked fifth.

On September 22, 2019, Korda claimed her first Ladies European Tour (LET) title, winning the Lacoste Ladies Open de France by an impressive eight strokes with a 4-under-par 67 in challenging, blustery conditions, finishing at 15-under par. She then successfully defended her title at the Taiwan Swinging Skirts LPGA on November 3, 2019, winning in a playoff. In 2020, Korda maintained a consistent performance, securing a runner-up position and a third-place finish.

4.3. 2021: Major breakthrough and Olympic gold

The year 2021 was a pivotal period for Korda, marked by multiple victories, her first major championship, and an Olympic gold medal. She started the season strong, winning the Gainbridge LPGA at Lake Nona Golf and Country Club in Orlando, Florida, on February 28, 2021. On June 20, 2021, she became the first two-time winner on the LPGA Tour in the 2021 season by winning the Meijer LPGA Classic in Grand Rapids, Michigan. She posted a career-best round of 62 on Saturday to establish a lead going into the final round.

A week later, on June 27, 2021, Korda achieved her first major championship victory at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship held at the Atlanta Athletic Club. She shot a 4-under 68 in the final round, winning by three strokes over fellow American Lizette Salas. This triumph propelled Korda to the world No. 1 ranking for the first time in her career.

Her monumental year continued with the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan. In Round 2 of the women's golf event on August 5, Korda was 11-under par as she approached the 18th tee, with a birdie on the final hole potentially leading to a remarkable round of 59. However, she double-bogeyed the hole, finishing with a 62. Despite this, on August 7, Korda secured the gold medal, becoming the second American woman to win Olympic gold in golf, and the first since Margaret Abbott at the 1900 Summer Olympics in Paris.

Although she briefly lost the world No. 1 ranking to Ko Jin-young on October 24 after Ko's win at the BMW Ladies Championship, Korda regained the top spot on November 8, 2021, due to the two-year rolling average calculation of the Rolex Rankings. In November, Korda earned her fourth LPGA victory of 2021 at the Pelican Women's Championship in Belleair, Florida. She overcame a triple bogey on the 17th hole in the final round, dropping from a co-lead to fourth place, but recovered with a birdie on the 18th to force a four-way playoff against Lexi Thompson, Lydia Ko, and Kim Sei-young. Korda birdied the first extra hole (the 18th) to claim the win, matching Ko Jin-young's four LPGA wins for the season and becoming the first American to win four times in an LPGA Tour season since Stacy Lewis in 2012.

Korda finished the 2021 season with the lowest scoring average on tour (68.774 over 62 rounds), surpassing Ko Jin-young (68.886 over 67 rounds). Despite this, she finished second on the money list with 2.38 M USD, behind Ko Jin-young's 3.50 M USD. Korda did not win the Vare Trophy because she did not meet the minimum 70 rounds played. She maintained her world No. 1 ranking until the end of the year, with an average of 10.07 points.

4.4. 2022-2023: Fluctuations and continued success

Korda began 2022 by setting a new record for an American golfer, surpassing Stacy Lewis for the most consecutive weeks as world No. 1 in the Women's World Golf Rankings. This streak lasted 29 consecutive weeks before she lost the top spot after tying for 20th place at the Gainbridge LPGA at Boca Rio. Her early 2022 season saw finishes of T-15, T-20, and T-4 in her first three starts. On March 13, she announced that she had been diagnosed with a blood clot in her arm, which led to her withdrawal from the Chevron Championship, the first major of the year, and the JTBC Classic. Korda made her return to play at the U.S. Women's Open, where she managed to finish in the top ten.

In November 2022, Korda successfully defended her title at the Pelican Women's Championship, marking her first win of the 2022 LPGA Tour season and briefly returning her to the world No. 1 ranking. However, her time at the top was short-lived, as Lydia Ko regained the No. 1 spot two weeks later.

The year 2023 saw Korda expand her endorsement portfolio, signing deals with prominent brands such as TaylorMade and Nike in January. Later in the year, she partnered with Delta Air Lines and joined fellow golfer Tony Finau on the list of T-Mobile US sponsored players. Korda continued to climb the career money list, and after her fourth-place finish at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions in January, she earned 99.46 K USD, pushing her career earnings to 7.64 M USD and surpassing her sister Jessica. After finishing third at the Chevron Championship on April 23, Korda briefly regained the world No. 1 ranking. In May, she announced that she would miss several tournaments due to back pain. Despite these challenges, on July 16, she secured her 13th professional victory, and her third on the Ladies European Tour, by winning the Aramco Team Series at the Centurion Club near London.

4.5. 2024: Historic winning streak and Player of the Year

The 2024 season marked an extraordinary period for Nelly Korda, highlighted by a historic winning streak and significant awards. On January 28, she secured her ninth LPGA Tour title in her hometown of Bradenton, Florida, at the LPGA Drive On Championship. Trailing by three strokes with two holes remaining in the final round, Korda executed an eagle-birdie finish to force a playoff with Lydia Ko. She won on the second extra hole, sinking a 4-foot par putt on the par-4 18th after Ko's putt lipped out. Korda became the first player to win an event after leading wire-to-wire. This victory denied Ko her 21st LPGA win and the points needed to secure entry into the LPGA Hall of Fame.

Korda's momentum continued with an unprecedented winning streak in March and April, claiming three consecutive titles: the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship (which returned her to the top of the Women's World Golf Rankings), the Ford Championship, and the T-Mobile Match Play. Her four consecutive wins in four starts made her the first player to achieve this feat since Lorena Ochoa in 2008.

Her historic run culminated with a fifth consecutive victory and her second major title at the 2024 Chevron Championship. She finished at 13-under par (275, with rounds of 68-69-69-69), beating Sweden's Maja Stark by two strokes. This achievement placed her in an elite group as only the third LPGA player to win five consecutive starts, joining Annika Sörenstam (2004-2005) and Nancy Lopez (1978). Following this remarkable win, Korda withdrew from the subsequent JM Eagle LA Championship to rest and avoid mental fatigue.

In May, Korda continued her dominance by winning the Mizuho Americas Open, marking her sixth win in seven starts. She finished 14-under par, edging out Australia's Hannah Green. In November, she claimed her seventh LPGA title of 2024 at The Annika, securing the victory with five consecutive birdies.

Her stellar performance throughout the year earned her significant recognition. Korda clinched the LPGA Tour Player of the Year award with three tournaments remaining on the schedule, having accumulated seven victories and three additional top-10 finishes. She also won the Rolex Annika Major Award.

5.1. LPGA Tour wins

Korda has won 15 LPGA Tour events, including two major championships.

Korda's LPGA Tour playoff record is 4 wins and 2 losses.

5.2. Ladies European Tour wins

Korda has secured 3 victories on the Ladies European Tour.

5.3. Symetra Tour wins

Korda has one victory on the Symetra Tour.

5.4. Other wins

Korda has achieved one additional significant victory, an Olympic gold medal.

6.1. Wins

Korda has won two major championships: the Women's PGA Championship in 2021 and the Chevron Championship in 2024.

6.2. Results timeline

Results not in chronological order.

• Win: Denoted by light green (`lime`) background.
• Top 10: Denoted by yellow background.
• Did not play: Denoted by light grey (`#eeeeee`) background.
• CUT = missed the half-way cut
• WD = withdrew
• NT = no tournament
• T = tied

6.3. Summary

Korda's overall performance in major championships showcases her consistent presence and ability to contend for titles.

• Most consecutive cuts made - 10 (achieved twice)
• Longest streak of top-10s - 1 (achieved 12 times, current)