In women’s professional golf right now, one question stands out: Can anyone challenge Nelly Korda when she’s performing at this elite level?
After experiencing her season’s poorest result at the Kroger Queen City Championship with an eighth-place tie, Korda stepped away from tournament play for two weeks. That disappointing finish followed an extraordinary opening to 2026, where her initial six tournaments produced three victories and three second-place finishes.
Her most significant triumph came at the Chevron Championship, this year’s opening major tournament. Now preparing for the second major championship, the world’s top-ranked player expresses an unquenchable competitive appetite.
Speaking to media on Tuesday before this week’s U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., Korda explained her motivation. “I’m just motivated to put myself into that position, to grind on off weeks, to just play the game,” she said. “It’s really hard to explain, but it’s really there’s nothing better when you’re a very competitive person than being in the hunt on a back nine at a tournament. There’s a really big rush of emotions. Even if it doesn’t work out, you constantly want to put yourself back into that because all that work that you’ve put in in your off weeks, that’s what makes it worth it.”
The golfer outlined her demanding weekly routine, which includes early morning starts, extensive practice sessions, physical training, physiotherapy treatments, and early bedtimes following dinner.
“All those days, you kind of sacrifice your time at home with your friends or with family, but it’s just so worth it because there’s no better rush of emotions than being in the hunt,” Korda explained.
This dedication paired with her exceptional abilities makes Korda a formidable competitor. Following a winless 2025 campaign, she had previously captured seven titles in 2024, including her inaugural Chevron Championship victory. Her 2026 performance mirrors that successful 2024 season, helping her reclaim the top ranking from Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul.
During last year’s championship at Erin Hills in Wisconsin, Korda remained competitive throughout the final round but couldn’t overtake Sweden’s Maja Stark at the U.S. Women’s Open. Her second-place finish represented her strongest showing in that tournament.
Reflecting on that near-miss, she said her main lesson was “That I was just hungry for more.”
“Last year was just a weird year of kind of not necessarily playing my best, but also when I did, not getting the bounces or just missing by a centimeter here and there,” Korda noted. “But I also learned a lot about myself. It made me hungrier to be in those positions.”
A championship this week would mark Korda’s fourth major title. Betting markets favor her heavily, with odds of +340 on DraftKings and +400 on BetMGM.
However, despite her success and status as the most accomplished American female golfer of her generation at age 27, Korda dismissed suggestions that she represents the sport’s public face.
“Definitely don’t think of myself as the face of the sport, but I would say that it’s growing,” Korda responded. “I’ve seen like from my rookie year, or even just maybe 2023, I’ve seen a big interest in girls, little girls coming out, supporting us.”
She continued: “It’s amazing to see how many dads and little girls come out to our events. It is absolutely amazing to see. It has grown every single year. There are times where (caddie Jason McDede) and I catch ourselves, and we kind of look around to the crowd and we’re like, wow, it’s amazing to see how many people are here on a Thursday. So I do think that we are growing. Obviously, there’s always room for improvement in everything that you do, but I’ve seen a really big trend in the fans coming out.”
