Who is Olympic gold star Nelly Korda? Inside her golf career, LPGA titles, major wins, and rise to world number one

Nelly Korda has become one of the biggest names in women’s golf. The American golfer has won major titles, Olympic gold, and several LPGA Tour events during her career. Born on July 28, 1998, Korda comes from a famous sports family and has spent more than 100 weeks as the world’s number one golfer. In 2026, she added another major title to her growing list of achievements with a dominant win at the Chevron Championship.

Nelly Korda’s early life and amateur golf success

Korda was born in Florida and trained at IMG Academy in Bradenton. Sports were always part of her life. Her father, Petr Korda, won the 1998 Australian Open in tennis, while her brother Sebastian Korda became a professional tennis player. Her sister Jessica Korda also plays on the LPGA Tour.
Nelly showed her golf talent at a young age. At just 14 years old, she made the cut at the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open. She later won amateur events like the Harder Hall Invitational and the PING Invitational. In 2015, she also helped Team USA win the Junior Solheim Cup in Germany.

How Nelly Korda became one of the top LPGA players

Korda turned professional in 2016 and quickly found success on the Symetra Tour. She won her first professional event at the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge before earning her LPGA Tour card.
Her first LPGA victory came in 2018 at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship. That win made headlines because she and her sister Jessica became one of the few sisters to both win LPGA titles.
Korda’s career reached another level in 2021. She won the Women’s PGA Championship, which was her first major title. That same year, she also won the gold medal at the delayed Tokyo Olympics, becoming the first American woman golfer to win Olympic gold since 1900.

The historic 2024 season changed Nelly Korda’s career

The 2024 season was one of the best years of Korda’s career. She won five straight LPGA tournaments, including the Chevron Championship. With that run, she joined LPGA legends Nancy Lopez and Annika Sorenstam as the only players to win five consecutive starts.
Korda finished the year with seven LPGA victories and was named LPGA Tour Player of the Year. She also helped Team USA win the 2024 Solheim Cup.
Off the course, Korda was named one of the world’s highest-paid female athletes by Sportico because of her prize money and endorsement deals.

Nelly Korda’s latest success in 2026

Korda continued her strong form in 2026. She won the Tournament of Champions early in the year and later captured her third major title at the Chevron Championship.
She dominated the tournament from the opening round and finished with a five-shot victory. The win also helped her regain the number one spot in the Women’s World Golf Rankings.
One week later, Korda added another title by winning the Riviera Maya Open. Her strong start to 2026 once again proved why she remains one of the biggest stars in women’s golf.



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