Korda wins Player of the Year, one point from Hall of Fame entry

Nelly Korda has clinched Rolex Player of the Year honors with three events remaining on the LPGA Tour schedule.

The world No. 1 now sits 26 points toward the 27-point threshold required for entry into the LPGA Hall of Fame.

She is one point away from becoming the 36th player inducted.

Korda, 28, earns one point automatically as the recipient of the annual Player of the Year award.

She also won the award in 2024 with three events left on the calendar.

This is her second Player of the Year title.

Korda now has 19 career victories and $22.3 million in official earnings.

Her 2026 season includes four wins — two of them major championships.

She won the Chevron Championship and the U.S. Women's Open.

The other two wins came at regular LPGA Tour events.

She has 10 top-10 finishes across 15 starts.

She has made 14 of 15 cuts this season.

Her official earnings for 2026 total $6.2 million.

She leads the Race to the CME Globe standings with 3,713.875 points.

Her closest competitor, Miyu Yamashita of Japan, has 3,183.626 points.

Jeeno Thitikul of Thailand sits third with 2,915.375 points.

Haeran Ryu of South Korea is fourth with 2,745.358 points.

Ruoning Yin of China rounds out the top five with 2,481.993 points.

Korda mathematically cannot be caught in the CME Globe race.

She did not enter this week's Toto Japan Classic.

That leaves two official events remaining in the 2026 LPGA season.

The Annika driven by Gainbridge at Pelican runs Nov. 12-15 in Belleair, Florida.

The CME Group Tour Championship runs Nov. 19-22 in Naples, Florida.

Korda can earn additional Hall of Fame points in several ways.

Winning an official LPGA Tour event earns one point.

Winning a major championship earns two points.

Capturing the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average earns one point.

Earning an Olympic gold medal earns one point.

Korda is ineligible for the Vare Trophy this season.

The Vare Trophy requires a minimum of 70 rounds played.

Korda has played only 53 rounds so far in 2026.

She has not competed since the Solheim Cup on Sept. 11-13.

She has not played on the LPGA Tour since the FM Championship on Aug. 27-30 in Norton, Massachusetts.

The FM Championship was her last regular-season start.

Korda's path to the Hall of Fame now narrows to the two remaining events.

A win at either the Annika or the CME Tour Championship would push her to 27 points.

A win at the CME Tour Championship would also secure the season-long title.

She already leads the CME Globe standings by more than 500 points.

Yamashita and Thitikul did not enter the Annika.

Ryu withdrew from the Maybank Championship last week in Malaysia due to an injury before the first round.

Ryu also did not enter this week's Toto Japan Classic.

The remaining field for the Annika will be smaller than usual.

Korda has not played a tournament since late August.

The break includes the Solheim Cup, where she represented the United States.

The Solheim Cup was held Sept. 11-13.

Korda's performance at the Solheim Cup is not part of her official LPGA Tour point tally.

Hall of Fame points are awarded only for LPGA Tour achievements.

The LPGA Hall of Fame requires a minimum of 27 points.

Players earn points through wins, majors, awards and Olympic medals.

The system has been in place since the Hall of Fame's founding.

Korda is the first player to reach 26 points since Inbee Park.

Park was inducted in 2019.

Korda's career trajectory has been remarkably consistent.

She turned professional in 2016.

She won her first LPGA event in 2018.

Her breakthrough season came in 2021 when she won four times.

She reached world No. 1 for the first time in 2021.

She has held the top ranking for most of the past two years.

Her 2024 season included a major win at the Chevron Championship.

She added the U.S. Women's Open in 2025.

Her 2026 U.S. Women's Open win was her second major of the year.

The Chevron Championship win came in April.

The U.S. Women's Open win came in June.

Both are LPGA major championships.

Korda has now won three major titles in her career.

She also won the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in 2021.

Her 19 career wins place her among the most active winners on tour.

Only a handful of active players have more than 15 wins.

Korda is 28 years old, which gives her a long runway for additional points.

The Hall of Fame threshold of 27 points is considered difficult but reachable.

Many players retire with fewer than 20 points.

Korda's pace of roughly three points per season puts her on track for a historic career.

She averages about one win per season over her career.

Her 2026 season is statistically her best.

Four wins in a single season is rare on the LPGA Tour.

Two majors in a single season is even rarer.

The last player to win two majors in one year was Nelly Korda in 2024.

She won the Chevron and the Women's PGA that year.

She now has two seasons with multiple major wins.

The LPGA Tour season concludes with the CME Group Tour Championship.

That event features a limited field based on the CME Globe points list.

Korda will be the top seed.

The winner of the CME Tour Championship earns $2 million.

The CME Tour Championship is the richest event on the LPGA schedule.

Korda's $6.2 million in 2026 earnings is already a career high.

The previous high was $4.5 million in 2024.

She has earned more than $22 million in her career.

Only a dozen players in LPGA history have earned more.