[Photo: Julio Aguilar]
World No.1 Nelly Korda needs just one point to clinch a spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame. She’s off to a great start with a chance to make that happen this week.
Korda fired a bogey-free seven-under 63 in the first round of The Annika event at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida. When she finished her round, Korda was two shots behind early leader Hye-Jin Choi, who shot a career-best nine-under 61.
“Definitely when you’re playing out and practicing there is not as much, I would say pressure, but it was nice to kind of feel those juices flowing again, especially playing with Hye-Jin who just had a great round today,” said Korda, who hasn’t played in a tour event for the past eight weeks. “And then Auston [Kim] played really well, too. I feel like all of us were flowing with our round. It feels nice. There are times where you can’t do anything about it but you get a little burnt out mentally and it’s nice to take a break. After like Week 3 I was already ready to get back out here. Feels really good to be back. But it’s really important to take that break as well.”
Korda, who has four of her 19 career wins this season, recently earned her 26th point for the LPGA Hall of Fame by clinching the tour’s Rolex Player of the Year award. She now needs just one more point to get to 27 points. If that’s this week or another time, she’ll become the 36th member of the hall.
To start the year, Korda won the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, then won the first two majors of the year, the Chevron Championship and US Women’s Open. She also won the Riviera Maya Open. She’s won this event, The Annika, three times in her career already.
New Zealand’s Lydia Ko is the most recent player to enter the Hall of Fame, which she did in 2024 by winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics.
Asked about the potential of clinching the goods this week, Korda, 28, said: “Every year has been so different. Two years ago, I won seven times, so I’ve had some amazing years in my career. Is the Hall of Fame something I’m really looking at? Not at all. I mean, I’m just focusing on being competitive and trying to give it my all.
“The accolades are great. I’m honoured to even be in that position. Honoured to be the player of the year. What drives me is the competitive tournament that I’m in currently. I want to do the best that I possibly can where I currently am. After that, everything else is out of my control.”
