Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Nelly Korda

How Nelly Korda built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Nelly Korda is a highly accomplished American professional golfer on the LPGA Tour. A two-time major champion, she won the 2021 Women's PGA Championship and the 2024 Chevron Championship. Korda has accumulated 21 professional wins, including 16 on the LPGA Tour, and earned a gold medal at the 2020 Summer Olympics. She has held the number one position in the Women's World Golf Rankings for over 100 weeks and finished as the year-end number one in both 2021 and 2024. Furthermore, Korda has represented the United States in four Solheim Cups, contributing to the winning team in 2024.

Sections (3)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition

2013: U.S. Women's Open Cut

In 2013, at the age of 14, Nelly Korda made the cut at the U.S. Women's Open, finishing tied for 64th place.

2014: Kathy Whitworth Invitational Win and Kraft Nabisco Championship Invitation

In 2014, Nelly Korda was triumphant at the Kathy Whitworth Invitational. She also received an invitation to compete at the Kraft Nabisco Championship as an amateur player.

January 2015: Harder Hall Invitational Victory

In January 2015, Nelly Korda secured victory at the Harder Hall Invitational, despite receiving a two-stroke penalty for using a caddie.

2016: First Professional Win

In 2016, Nelly Korda started her professional career on the Symetra Tour, winning her first professional event at the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge.

2016: Turned Professional and First Tournament Win

In 2016, Nelly Korda turned professional and won her first professional tournament at the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge.

2017: LPGA Tour Debut

In 2017, Nelly Korda began playing on the LPGA Tour.

2017: LPGA Tour Debut and Season-Ending Championship

In 2017, Nelly Korda made her LPGA Tour debut at the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic and finished tied-5th. She ended the season at the CME Group Tour Championship.

October 28, 2018: Maiden LPGA Tour Title

On October 28, 2018, Nelly Korda secured a two-stroke victory at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship in Taoyuan, Taiwan, sealing her maiden LPGA Tour title.

2018: First LPGA Win

In 2018, Nelly Korda won her first LPGA event at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship.

2018: Sisters' LPGA Tour Victories

In 2018, Nelly Korda's maiden LPGA Tour victory meant that she and her sister Jessica became the third pair of sisters to have both claimed victory in LPGA Tour events.

2019: Sisters in Solheim Cup

In 2019, Nelly Korda and her sister Jessica became the first sisters to play as a pairing in a Solheim Cup match.

2019: Solheim Cup Debut

In 2019, Nelly Korda made her Solheim Cup debut at Gleneagles, Scotland. She partnered with her sister Jessica Korda, and they became the first sisters to be playing partners in the history of the competition. She finished the tournament with an unbeaten 3–0–1 record.

2019: Women's Australian Open Victory and Top-10 Ranking

In 2019, Nelly Korda triumphed at the Women's Australian Open, which led her to enter the top-10 of the world rankings for the first time.

2019: Ladies European Tour Victory and Swinging Skirts Title Defense

In 2019, Nelly Korda won the Lacoste Ladies Open de France, recording her first victory in a Ladies European Tour event. She also defended her title at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship.

2020: Olympic Gold Medal

At the delayed 2020 Summer Olympics, Nelly Korda became the first American female golfer to win individual gold at an Olympic Games since 1900.

2021: First Major and World Number One

In 2021, Nelly Korda claimed her first major win at the Women's PGA Championship, taking her to world number one.

2021: Regaining World Number One and Pelican Women's Championship Win

In 2021, Nelly Korda regained the number one spot in the world rankings in November and won the Pelican Women's Championship in Belleair, Florida. She finished the year as world number one.

2021: Gainbridge LPGA and Meijer LPGA Classic Wins, First Major at Women's PGA Championship

In 2021, Nelly Korda won the Gainbridge LPGA and the Meijer LPGA Classic, becoming the first two-time winner on the LPGA Tour for the year. She then won her first major at the 2021 Women's PGA Championship, becoming the number one ranked player in the world.

2021: Women's PGA Championship Victory and Year-End Number One

In 2021, Nelly Korda won the Women's PGA Championship, marking her first major win. She also finished as the year-end number one in the Women's World Golf Rankings.

2021: Olympic Gold Medal and Solheim Cup

In 2021, Nelly Korda won the gold medal at the Summer Olympics and represented the United States at the Solheim Cup in Toledo, Ohio. The US lost the Solheim Cup.

January 3, 2022: Surpassing Consecutive Weeks as World Number One

On January 3, 2022, Nelly Korda surpassed the record for the most consecutive weeks as world number one by an American, previously held by Stacy Lewis.

November 2024: Victory at the Tournament of Champions

In November 2024, Nelly Korda won the Tournament of Champions, marking her first LPGA Tour event win since November 2024. The final round of the event was cancelled due to bad weather.

2024: Consecutive LPGA Tour Wins and Second Major

In 2024, Nelly Korda became the third player to win five consecutive tournaments on the LPGA Tour, culminating in her second major win at the Chevron Championship.

2024: Women's British Open, Summer Olympics, and Solheim Cup

In 2024, Nelly Korda finished tied for 3rd at the Women's British Open, was unable to defend her Olympic title, finishing outside the medal positions, and participated in the United States team's victory at the Solheim Cup, securing three wins out of four matches.

2024: Won Chevron Championship

In 2024, Nelly Korda won the Chevron Championship, marking her fifth consecutive victory and second major title with a score of 275 (−13, 68-69-69-69), surpassing Maja Stark by two strokes.

2024: Chevron Championship Victory and Solheim Cup

In 2024, Nelly Korda won the Chevron Championship, marking her second major win. She was also on the winning team at the Solheim Cup in 2024.

2025: Runner-up at Tournament of Champions and loss of world number one ranking

In 2025, Nelly Korda finished runner-up at the Tournament of Champions and later lost her world number one ranking to Atthaya Thitikul after a tied-36th place finish at the Women's British Open.