Nelly Korda is a two-time major champion who won the 2021 Women’s PGA Championship and the 2024 Chevron Championship. She has 15 LPGA Tour titles, an Olympic gold medal from Tokyo 2020, and has spent over 100 weeks ranked as the world’s top female golfer.
Who Is Nelly Korda?
Born on July 28, 1998, in Bradenton, Florida, Nelly Korda has become one of the most recognizable names in professional golf. She started playing golf seriously when she was six years old, frequently taking lessons three to four times a week.
What sets Korda apart isn’t just her skill with a club. She comes from a family of professional athletes—her father Petr won the 1998 Australian Open in tennis, her mother Regina is also an ex-professional tennis player who represented Czechoslovakia, her older sister Jessica is a multiple-time LPGA Tour winner, and her younger brother Sebastian is a professional tennis player currently ranked in the top 50 in the world.
Korda turned professional in 2016 and won her first professional tournament at the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge that same year. She earned her LPGA Tour card for 2017 and claimed her first LPGA victory in 2018.
Historic 2024 Season: Five Straight Wins
Korda’s 2024 campaign ranks among the greatest individual seasons in LPGA history. She became the third player to win five consecutive tournaments on the LPGA Tour, with this run culminating in her second major championship win at the 2024 Chevron Championship.
The winning streak started in her hometown of Bradenton, Florida, and included victories at the Drive On Championship, Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship, Ford Championship, and T-Mobile Match Play before the major triumph. Only Nancy Lopez and Annika Sorenstam had previously accomplished the feat of five consecutive LPGA wins.
She finished the 2024 season with seven individual LPGA titles from just 16 starts before being named LPGA Tour Player of the Year. Her performance also helped the United States secure victory at the 2024 Solheim Cup, where she played a key role in the team’s success.
Major Championships and Career Wins
Korda’s major championship breakthrough came in 2021. At the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club, she defeated Lizette Salas by three strokes and equaled the championship record score of 19-under-par.
Her second major arrived three years later. Korda entered the 2024 Chevron Championship after winning four consecutive starts, becoming only the second player in tour history to do so before competing in a major. She went bogey-free over the weekend to claim the title.
Beyond her major victories, Korda has accumulated 15 LPGA Tour wins and 20 professional titles overall. Her consistent performance has seen her reach significant milestones. In June 2025, she reached 100 career weeks as world number one, becoming the sixth female player to achieve this benchmark.
Olympic Glory in Tokyo
The summer of 2021 proved transformative for Korda’s career. At the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, she finished with a one-shot victory in the women’s golf competition, battling both rain and opponents in the final round to finish at 17-under-par.
The victory held special significance. Korda became the first American woman to win an Olympic golf medal since Margaret Abbott in 1900. Her gold medal came just weeks after winning her first major championship.
Play was delayed for one hour due to storms, with the final two groups still finishing the last two holes, but Korda maintained her composure to sink a four-foot par putt on the 72nd hole to claim gold. She was surrounded on the final green by her sister Jessica and fellow Team USA members.
2025 Season Challenges
Korda’s 2025 campaign has contrasted sharply with her dominant 2024 performance. Despite winning seven times on the LPGA last season, she remains winless in 17 events this season, though she has chalked up eight top-10 finishes while earning $2.2 million.
Her best finish came early in the year. At the Tournament of Champions, Korda finished in second place after narrowly falling to South Korean standout A Lim Kim, finishing at 18-under compared to Kim’s 20-under. She also secured a runner-up finish at the U.S. Women’s Open.
Injuries have played a role in her struggles. Korda has withdrawn from events due to injury concerns, including the International Crown in October 2025, citing persistent neck issues that have plagued her over the past couple of seasons.
Despite the winless streak, her statistics remain strong. Her scoring average is 69.89 in 2025 compared to 69.56 for all of 2024, and she has actually improved in strokes gained total and strokes gained putting.
In August 2025, her 71-week run as World No. 1 ended when Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul officially eclipsed her in the rankings.
World Rankings Journey
Korda first claimed the top spot in the Women’s World Golf Rankings in 2021 following her major championship and Olympic victories. She has held the position steadily since March 2024, though she experienced brief periods outside the No. 1 ranking in 2022 and 2023.
Her time at the summit has been marked by consistency. She reclaimed the World No. 1 spot during her incredible five-tournament winning streak in 2024 and maintained that position for an extended period.
The depth of her accomplishment becomes clear when considering the company she keeps. Only six female golfers in history have held the No. 1 ranking for 100 consecutive weeks, placing Korda alongside legends of the sport.
Personal Life and Relationship
Off the course, Korda maintains a private personal life. She has been dating Andreas Athanasiou since 2019, a professional ice hockey player who currently plays for the Chicago Blackhawks in the NHL.
The couple originally announced their relationship on Instagram with a Thanksgiving photo, though they have kept details about how they met private. They regularly support each other at their respective sporting events.
In 2022, after Athanasiou signed a $3 million contract with the Chicago Blackhawks, Korda represented the team by wearing their jersey during a tournament. Athanasiou has attended numerous golf tournaments to support Korda, including celebrating her victory at the 2021 Meijer LPGA Classic.
Solheim Cup Achievements
Korda has represented the United States at four Solheim Cups, compiling an impressive record in the biennial team competition. She made history in the 2019 competition when she and her sister Jessica became the first siblings to play as partners in Solheim Cup history.
Her debut performance was flawless. At the 2019 Solheim Cup at Gleneagles, Scotland, she completed the tournament with an unbeaten 3-0-1 record, including victories in foursomes and singles play.
The 2024 Solheim Cup marked her most successful team performance, as she helped the United States secure victory with a 3-1-0 record in the tournament, with her only defeat coming in the final-day singles match against Charley Hull.
Health Setbacks and Resilience
Korda’s career has included several health challenges that required time away from competition. After winning her breakout major and Olympic gold in 2021, she was out for six months following emergency surgery for a blood clot in her arm after a routine practice day in March 2022. She returned in July at the U.S. Women’s Open, where she finished eighth.
In 2024, she missed time in October after admitting she was battling migraines and neck spasms. These neck issues have persisted into 2025.
When asked about her plans for the remainder of the 2025 season, Korda prioritized rest, explaining that her body has been worn down from continuous travel and competition. She acknowledged that her past injuries have made her more cautious about any physical discomfort.
Playing Style and Statistics
Korda’s game is built on power and precision off the tee. In her seven-win 2024 season, she ranked first in strokes gained total at 2.84, third in tee to green at 1.88, and second off the tee at 0.87.
Her approach play and short game showed particular strength that year. She ranked fourth in strokes gained around the green at 0.42 and maintained a birdie percentage of 24.37, second on tour.
In 2025, while her overall statistics remain competitive, her biggest decline has come in wedge play, falling to 62nd in strokes gained around the green compared to ranking fourth in 2024. Her putting has actually improved, climbing from 34th to 20th in that category.
Early Career and Amateur Success
Before turning professional, Korda established herself as one of the top junior golfers in the world. She was part of the winning 2015 Junior Solheim Cup team and cut the Women’s US Open in 2013, just one week before her 15th birthday.
She chose to skip college and turn professional at age 18. After winning her first professional event on the Symetra Tour in 2016, she finished ninth on the money list and earned her LPGA Tour card for 2017.
Her first LPGA Tour victory came in 2018 at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship, making her and Jessica the third pair of sisters to both claim LPGA Tour victories.
Notable Achievements Timeline
2016: Turned professional at 18; won Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge
2018: First LPGA Tour win at Taiwan Championship
2021: Won first major at Women’s PGA Championship; claimed Olympic gold; reached World No. 1
2024: Tied LPGA record with five consecutive wins; won second major at Chevron Championship; earned seven total victories; named LPGA Player of the Year
2025: Reached 100 weeks at World No. 1; struggled with injuries and a winless season through October
FAQs
How many majors has Nelly Korda won?
She has won two major championships—the 2021 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the 2024 Chevron Championship.
Is Nelly Korda still ranked number one?
No, she lost the World No. 1 ranking to Thailand’s Jeeno Thitikul in August 2025 after holding the position for 71 consecutive weeks.
Who are Nelly Korda’s parents?
Her father is Petr Korda, who won the 1998 Australian Open in tennis, and her mother is Regina Rajchrtová, a former professional tennis player who competed in the 1988 Olympics.
Has Nelly Korda won an Olympic medal?
Yes, she won the gold medal in women’s golf at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics in 2021, becoming the first American woman to win Olympic gold in golf since 1900.
What are Nelly Korda’s career earnings?
Through October 2025, she has earned over $2.2 million in the 2025 season alone, with career earnings exceeding $20 million on the LPGA Tour.
What’s Next for Nelly Korda?
As the 2025 season draws to a close, questions remain about when Korda will return to her winning ways. She is expected to compete at The Annika in Florida in November, where she won for the third time in four years in 2024, followed by the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship.
The pattern of her career suggests this winless stretch is likely temporary. Her statistics remain competitive, her health is improving with rest, and her track record of bouncing back from adversity speaks volumes. At 27 years old, she has decades of competitive golf ahead.
What makes her story compelling isn’t just the victories or the rankings. It’s the way she’s navigated the pressure of expectations, dealt with injuries, and maintained grace through both triumph and struggle. The daughter of athletes, the sister of champions, and the girlfriend of a professional hockey player—Korda understands that success in sports comes in cycles.
Her 2024 season set an almost impossible standard. Few golfers, male or female, win seven times in a single season. The 2025 struggles don’t erase those achievements. They remind us that even the best players face challenges.
The LPGA Tour is more competitive than ever, with 26 different winners through 25 events in 2025. That depth of talent makes every victory harder to achieve. But Korda’s track record suggests she’ll find her way back to the winner’s circle.
For now, she’s focused on health, recovery, and preparation for 2026. Smart money says the winless streak won’t last much longer.
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