CHASKA, Minn. — With sincere apologies to 155 players in the field at this week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine National, one storyline looms above all the others.
You can blame Nelly Korda for that.
Korda has already won the first two majors of 2026 — the Chevron Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open — and she’s now attempting to win a third straight.
With a victory this week, she’d be just the third player to win the first three majors of the season (and first since Inbee Park in 2013). But just as importantly, she’d clinch her spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame. The LPGA has a unique points system to gain entry into its hall — no vote necessary — and a major win this week would be worth two points, which would be enough to give Korda the 27 necessary.
Nelly Korda, as a reminder, is still just 27 years old.
“I think I have a very in-the-moment mindset this year, which I’m just trying to take towards the end of the year,” Korda said Wednesday. “No matter what happens, I’ve just told myself if I am lifting the trophy — like, that is obviously the main goal at the end the week — I’m going to prepare or focus on my preparation and know that I’m 100 percent confident in it and lean on that.”
Korda’s been fantastic this season, much like she was two years ago, when she won seven times. Last year she never missed a cut and had nine top-10 finishes but failed to win. This year? She’s back to lifting trophies.
In her first eight starts of the season, she won four times and was the runner-up three times. She also tied for 8th once. Her worst 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’s second in SG: Approach and third in SG: Around the Greens. Even putting she’s 22nd.
And perhaps most importantly, she’s entering this week refreshed. She was tired and didn’t sleep well at the Dow, and she left Michigan for NYC for her delayed U.S. Women’s Open media tour after the tournament Sunday night. She spent that Monday in NYC, made an appearance on the “Today” show, stopped at the New York Stock Exchange and took a late flight home to Florida. She took Tuesday off and returned to practice on Wednesday. She landed in Minnesota on Sunday, played nine Monday, 18 Tuesday and the front nine Wednesday.
Then she met with the media to talk about what it’s like dealing with this kind of pressure. One thing may help: if she’s not aware of what’s at stake, what is there to worry about? Korda admitted Wednesday she had no idea how many points are needed to enter the Hall of Fame (27) or how many she even has (25).
That’s by design.
“I kind of like to be oblivious about it in that way,” said Korda, who begins her first round at 9:17 a.m. ET on Thursday. “I know a lot about the stuff that I want to know about, 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 add 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 achievements of my career, for sure.”
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