Nelly Korda Wins the 2026 Rolex ANNIKA Major Award

The Rolex ANNIKA Major Award recognizes the player who accumulates the most points across the LPGA Tour's five major championships during a single season. Points are awarded to players who finish inside the top 10 at each major, with victories carrying the highest value. Korda's remarkable consistency, highlighted by two major championship victories and several top finishes, proved enough to fend off South Korea's Haeran Ryu in one of the closest races since the award's inception.

Dominant Major Championship Campaign

Korda's journey to the award began with a commanding victory at the Chevron Championship, where she captured her third career major title after leading wire-to-wire. The victory returned her to the top of the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings and established an early lead in the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award standings.

She strengthened her position by winning the U.S. Women's Open, becoming the only player during the 2026 season to claim two major championships. Those victories, combined with additional top-10 performances throughout the major season, provided a steady accumulation of points that ultimately proved decisive.

Heading into the season's final major—the AIG Women's Open—Korda and Haeran Ryu remained locked in a closely contested race. Ryu had also enjoyed an exceptional season after winning the KPMG Women's PGA Championship and the Amundi Evian Championship, meaning the award would be decided at Royal Lytham & St Annes.

Clinching the Award at Royal Lytham

Although Japan's Shiho Kuwaki captured the AIG Women's Open title following a dramatic playoff, Korda's tie for fourth place earned enough additional points to mathematically secure the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award. Her finish highlighted the consistency that defined her 2026 campaign, as she posted strong results throughout every major championship despite intense competition.

With the achievement, Korda became only the second player to win the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award twice, adding the 2026 honor to the title she previously earned in 2024.

"Winning this award means a great deal because it reflects performance across all five majors. Consistency throughout the season is incredibly difficult to achieve."

A Season to Remember

Beyond the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award, Korda has enjoyed one of the finest seasons of her career. She reclaimed the No. 1 position in the Rolex Women's World Golf Rankings, added multiple LPGA Tour victories, and strengthened her credentials as the leading player in women's golf.

Her performances across the majors included:

• Winner: Chevron Championship
• Winner: U.S. Women's Open
• Top-10 Finish: KPMG Women's PGA Championship
• Competitive Showing: Amundi Evian Championship
• Tied for Fourth: AIG Women's Open

Those results enabled Korda to accumulate the highest overall point total in the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award standings, edging Haeran Ryu after an entertaining season-long battle.

Significance of the Award

Introduced in 2014, the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award honors the LPGA player who demonstrates the greatest excellence throughout the year's major championships. Named after Hall of Famer Annika Sörenstam, the award celebrates consistency at the highest level of women's golf rather than success in a single tournament.

Korda's victory further cements her place among the sport's elite and reinforces her status as the benchmark for excellence on the LPGA Tour entering the remainder of the 2026 season.

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