CHASKA — Nelly Korda won the 2026 U.S. Women's Open at Riviera Country Club on June 21, marking her 19th career LPGA victory and fourth major title. This win positions the 27-year-old golfer two points shy of the 27 points needed to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame.

Korda's victory at the U.S. Women's Open followed her wire-to-wire win at the 2026 Chevron Championship, making her the first American to secure back-to-back majors since Juli Inkster in 1999. Korda has won four tournaments in the 2026 season and holds the world No. 1 ranking. To achieve the career grand slam, which requires winning four different majors, Korda needs to win either the Amundi Evian Masters or the AIG Women's British Open.

Korda is now attempting to win her third consecutive major championship at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship, which is being held at Hazeltine National in Chaska, Minnesota. She previously won the KPMG Women's PGA Championship in 2021 at the Highlands Course at the Atlanta Athletic Club and played at Hazeltine National in 2019, where she finished tied for third.

Korda remarked on her focus, stating, "Honestly, I have not thought about the Hall of Fame really once." She added, "I told myself that I'm just really going to stay present in the moment and concentrate on what's in front of me." She also said, "I just enjoy playing golf and I enjoy being in the hunt in tournaments."

Juli Inkster, a golfer, described the career grand slam as an achievement, noting that while the men's game receives considerable attention for grand slams, the women's game often does not. "No one ever says it on your bio, but it's such a big talk about for the guys," Inkster said. "I don't think we get enough credit for that." When asked about the conditions for a grand slam, Inkster said, "That's a damn good question." She added, "I would say if you're going to win a career grand slam, you've got to win all the majors." Annika Sorenstam stated, "You can't win four and call it a calendar slam when the calendar has five."

The 2026 KPMG Women's PGA Championship has a $13 million prize money purse, with the winner receiving $1,950,000. This marks the largest purse in the history of women's golf. Minjee Lee is the defending champion, having won the 2025 KPMG Women's PGA Championship. The next LPGA major is the Amundi Evian Championship, scheduled for July 9-12.

Why It Matters

Nelly Korda's recent victory at the 2026 U.S. Women's Open places her in contention for both a career grand slam and qualification for the LPGA Hall of Fame. Her upcoming performance at the KPMG Women's PGA Championship could lead to her becoming only the third player in LPGA history to win the first three majors of a season. If Korda secures two more points, potentially through winning another major, she will reach the 27 points required for the LPGA Hall of Fame. This season's KPMG Women's PGA Championship features the largest prize money purse in women's golf history.