Nelly Korda is rewriting the record books—and doing it with a smile. At just 27 years old, the newly-minted world No. 1 captured her third LPGA title of the 2026 season at the Riviera Maya Open, becoming the youngest player since Nancy Lopez in 1980 to reach 18 career victories on tour.
Fresh off a dominant win at the season's first major, the Chevron Championship, Korda didn't miss a beat. She flew straight from Houston to Mexico, took Monday off to enjoy tacos and guac on the beach, and then got back to business. By Sunday, she had a four-shot victory and a 17-under-par total, closing with a 69 and leading by as many as seven shots in the final round.
Korda's consistency is staggering. She hasn't finished outside the top 2 in six starts this season. With three wins already, the only players to beat her all year are Hyo Joo Kim (twice) and Lauren Coughlin. "I'm just enjoying myself, and I love the competition," Korda said when asked if she's playing the best golf of her career—a nod to her incredible 2024 season, when she won six of her first eight starts.
Her latest victory puts her in elite company. Only three times in LPGA history has a player won by five or more shots after winning a major: Lorena Ochoa (2008, 11 shots), Louise Suggs (1952, 9 shots), and Se Ri Pak (1998, 9 shots). Korda's four-shot margin at Mayakoba may be slightly smaller, but the message is clear: she's in a league of her own.
The field in Mexico was thin on star power—Korda was the only top-10 player among the 125 competitors—but that didn't dim the drama. Thailand's Arpichaya Yubol, ranked 187th in the world, finished solo second on her 24th birthday, calling it a "dream come true" to play alongside Korda in the final round. Journeywoman Brianna Do, ranked 345th, took solo fourth after qualifying for her first U.S. Women's Open in years, while rookie Melanie Green, who started the week with a hole-in-one, earned a share of ninth.
For Korda, the path to the LPGA Hall of Fame is getting shorter. At this pace, she's not just winning—she's making history look effortless.