World No. 1 Nelly Korda (USA) has secured her position as the Major Queen of women’s golf for 2026.
On August 2, Korda wrapped up the AIG Women’s Open, the final major of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) Tour season, with a tie for 4th place. She carded a total of 2-under 282 at the Royal Lytham & St Annes Golf Club in Lancashire, England. The tournament had a total prize money of 10 million USD.
With this tournament, the curtain falls on all five women’s golf majors for the season. Korda has clinched the prestigious Rolex Annika Major Award, recognizing her as the standout performer across the year’s major championships.
The Rolex Annika Major Award, introduced in 2014, rewards players for top-10 finishes in majors. The golfer amassing the highest cumulative points across the five events takes home the honor.
Korda topped the leaderboard with 140 points, edging out Kim Hyo-joo who finished with 130 points.
Korda’s impressive run included back-to-back victories at the Chevron Championship in April and the U.S. Women’s Open in June. She added to her tally with a T-8 at the KPMG Women’s Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Championship and a T-4 at this event.
Despite Kim’s triumphs at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship and the Evian Championship, she fell short of Korda’s total points.
After three rounds, Kim was tied for 2nd while Korda languished in a tie for 16th. Had these positions held, Kim would have claimed the Annika Award.
However, the final round saw a dramatic reversal. Korda surged with a 3-under par performance, while Kim stumbled to a 3-over par, flipping the script.
This marks Korda’s second Annika Award, coming two years after her previous win in 2024.