Korda Clinches LPGA Player of the Year and Moves One Win From Hall of Fame

Nelly Korda has clinched the 2026 Rolex LPGA Player of the Year award, her second such honour in three years, and moved to within one victory of the LPGA Hall of Fame. The award carries a single Hall of Fame point, taking the 28-year-old American to 26 points, one short of the 27 needed to become the 36th member of the club. Her next LPGA victory, or another season-ending award, would complete the set. The race was settled away from the course, at Tuesday's 5 p.m. ET entry deadline for The Annika: Haeran Ryu had already withdrawn after injuring a ligament in her finger in a golf cart during a pro-am, and neither Miyu Yamashita nor Jeeno Thitikul entered the Florida event. Korda, who won two majors this year at the Chevron Championship and the U.S. Women's Open at Riviera, skipped the entire Asian swing and plans to play the final two weeks in Florida, The Annika and the CME Group Tour Championship. She cannot win this year's Vare Trophy for low scoring average because she has played only 53 rounds, short of the 70-round minimum, but she will be honoured at the Rolex LPGA Awards on November 17.