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On Sunday, Lottie Woad enjoyed what is becoming a regular tradition in her pro career.

With a final-round 69 at the Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati, Woad, who is 22, won her second LPGA event (and third event in total) since turning pro in the middle of last year. Woad’s victory was the latest highlight in her rapid climb up the food chain in the women’s game. It was also a moment of affirmation for one of her more … eclectic competitive rituals: a bag of gummy bears that has served as her good-luck charm.

As the story goes, the tradition started with Woad’s caddie, David Taylor, a veteran LPGA looper who evidently shares her sweet tooth.

“So, back in the UK, we’ve got kind of little supermarket called Marks & Spencer, and they do this sweet called Percy Pigs, and it just so happened that Singapore had one of these little small supermarkets, and I came across it one night when we were out for dinner,” Taylor said. “So, I took them and I put them in the bag, and I said, ‘These are some birdie sweets.'”

Caddies are famously adept at discovering motivational tools for their players, and in Taylor’s case, the key to Woad’s heart was simple.

“Now, every player is driven by different things, some are financially driven, Lotte is in fact driven by sweets,” he said. “So, I put them in the bag, and I said, ‘Every birdie you make, we get one each.’ So it’s not she’s going to hit some mad sugar rush or anything.”

Woad is careful to point out that she’s not exactly housing gummy bears during the course of competition. The candies are a boost that helps to break up the monotony of life on the road.

“I don’t know, we’ve done it the last few events that we remembered,” Woad said with a grin. “Yeah, I think people think that we’re like stuffing our faces with sweets during the round, but like realistically we’re eating like four gummy bears.”

But Woad’s moment in the sun at the Kroger Queen City Championship was dually rewarding, and not just for the sugar high of a pro victory. As Taylor explained in an interview with SiriusXM, he’d made his pro an unusual promise: The next time she won an event, she could choose the design for the next tattoo on her caddie’s body.

Woad’s victory in Cincy meant that she had earned that right, and as you might expect, there was only one option that made sense.

“Actually, about one hour ago, I got a text message from her, and she’s finally chosen what to get,” Taylor said with a laugh. “She’s chosen the piece, and it is, in fact, going to be a little gummy bear with a crown on it.”

A gummy bear with a crown — fitting for the first crowning of a new LPGA heavyweight player-caddie pairing … and one that just so happened to come in the Queen City.

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On paper, Nelly Korda’s 2026 season almost doesn’t seem real.

In her first six starts, Korda has three wins and three runner-up finishes. Because two of the second-place results came in Hyo Joo Kim victories, Korda has more wins in 2026 than there are players who have finished ahead of her (Solheim Cup teammate Lauren Coughlin, in Las Vegas, is the other).

Korda’s sprint back to the top of the Rolex World Rankings has her rubbing shoulders with legends. She is one of just two players since 1980 to start an LPGA season with six consecutive top-2 finishes, joining Annika Sorenstam (2001). Sorenstam won eight times that season.

Per the Elias Sports Bureau, Korda is the first player since Lorena Ochoa in 2008 to win an LPGA tournament by four strokes or more in back-to-back weeks. Her victory in Mexico was the 18th of her LPGA career, making her the youngest American player to reach that benchmark since Nancy Lopez in 1980.

The rare air Korda now breathes is reserved for all-timers. So, what is separating her from her peers? Where does she gain her greatest advantages on the field?

Let’s break down what has made Nelly Korda so hard to beat.

Approach play (especially from the rough)

Korda’s angle of attack with her irons is vital to her success, especially this season. When missing the fairway off the tee on par-4s and 5s this year, Korda has gone on to hit the green in regulation at a rate of 68.0%. Not only is that the highest rate on Tour among qualified players, the gap between her and her peers is enormous. Every player not named Nelly Korda is hitting the green in that situation just 51.8% of the time.

That aspect of Korda’s iron play has led to the most impressive strokes gained approach numbers of her career. From 2022 through the 2025 season, Nelly averaged 0.35 strokes gained approach per round. She gained strokes with her approach play in 62.8% of her overall rounds and gained at least a full stroke in 32.7% of them. This season, Korda is on another planet when it comes to this metric. She leads the LPGA in strokes gained approach, gaining a whopping 1.97 per round. She’s gained strokes with her approach play in all but one round — and gained a stroke or more 83.3% of the time.

Over the previous three seasons, players on the LPGA Tour gained three or more strokes with their approach play in about 4% of overall rounds played. In 2025, Nelly is doing that at a staggering 22% clip.

Short-game prowess

On the relatively rare occasion that Korda has missed the green in regulation this season, her short game has been brilliant. She is getting up-and-down at a 75.0% clip so far in 2026, the best rate of any player on the LPGA. What was once a bit of a weakness in her statistical profile has now joined her array of elite skills: As recently as 2022, Korda ranked outside the top-100 in scrambling percentage. Last season, she ranked 55th (57.7%).

Korda’s bunker play has been a big reason in the improvement. From 2022 through 2025, she ranked anywhere from 72nd to 138th on the LPGA in sand save percentage. Through her win in Mexico, she’s 11-for-16 saving par from greenside bunkers, good for the third-best rate on Tour.

Instruction

'Coca-cola': Nelly Korda explains the secret behind her smooth tempo

By: Maddi MacClurg

All of this has helped forge one of her most impressive statistical feats in 2026: a bogey or worse percentage of 7.97%. Not only is that the lowest rate on the LPGA, it’s also more than 4 full percentage points better than anyone else. Haeran Ryu and Miyu Yamashita are tied for second lowest, at 12.26%. Korda made just seven bogeys combined in her back-to-back wins in Houston and Mexico.

Korda already has six bogey-free rounds this season, tied with Chizzy Iwai for most on the LPGA Tour. She had just four all of last season and didn’t record her second of the season until October.

Par-5 dominance

Korda’s length off the tee has always provided her a greater ability to take advantage of scoring opportunities on par-5s. In her 18 LPGA wins, she is a combined 160 under par on par-5s. In each of the previous five seasons, she’s ranked either first or second on the Tour that season in par-5 performance.

Yet somehow, in 2026, Korda has found a way to be even more dominant on par 5s. She has ranked in the top-5 in the field in par-5 scoring in all six of her starts. She did that in just four tournaments all of last season — when she tied for the best par-5 scoring average on the LPGA Tour! Korda currently averages a preposterous 4.34 strokes per par-5 played, a full tenth of a stroke better than anyone else and nearly three-tenths of a stroke better than the LPGA average.

Korda was double-digits under par on par-5s in just two tournaments all last season. This year she already has done that four times in six starts.

Korda will enter this week’s event, the Kroger Queen City Championship, with a season scoring average of 68.04. Per Elias, that’s the second-best scoring average for any player through the first 23 rounds of a specific season going back to 1980. Only Ochoa in 2008 (67.87) has had a better scoring start to a year.

What we are witnessing this season from Nelly Korda is a brilliant athlete at the peak of her craft.

Soak it up.

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The post Jeeno Thitikul’s new mindset won her Mizuho. Will it help her answer major question? appeared first on Golf.

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Two weeks ago, Jeeno Thitikul arrived at the Chevron Championship and admitted she hears all the noise about her inability to win a major championship. The then-No. 1-ranked player in the world called it the “challenge” of her career to finally get it over the line at the biggest events.

Two days later, Jeeno Thitikul missed the cut at Memorial Park as Nelly Korda went on to win her third major and reclaim the top spot in the Rolex Rankings. Thitikul took a week off after her early exit in Houston and returned to action this week to defend her title at the Mizuho Americas Open. Thitikul has always approached her career with great perspective, that of someone who learned the game at a driving range in Ratchaburi, Thailand, a small town not far from Bangkok that doesn’t have its own course. Someone who has already achieved more than she thought possible. Thitikul wants to win a major, but she is also content with everything she has already accomplished in the game. There’s pressure to win a major because that’s a dream of hers, but not because she needs validation from others.

“I don’t think I have to prove anything to like even other players or people or myself, because like what I have I already proved for a long, long time,” Thitikul said on Friday at Mountain Ridge Country Club. “
It’s just a certain time that golf seems easy for you. Then I have a certain time [where] golf is so hard for me, which is Chevron, it’s one of the weeks that I feel like, ‘What did I do wrong?’ … I’m like, ‘What did golf do to me right now?’ And then coming to this week, didn’t expect anything, to be honest. ”

Thitikul won earlier this season in Thailand but has been struggling with her game since the LPGA returned to America in March. After bowing out of the Chevron early, Thitikul spoke with her coach about the issues with her swing, primarily her iron play, and they decided to attack her title defense at Mizuho with a new mentality.

Try less.

“When you put the work [in] and don’t see the results, sometimes you are really disappointed,” Thitikul said earlier this week at Mizuho. “He said, ‘Maybe, don’t try.’ Then, if you don’t try, maybe you don’t expect anything.”

News

From 'dark' places to a touching gesture: Inside Michelle Wie West's return

By: Josh Schrock

That mindset shift freed up Thitikul this week in West Caldwell, New Jersey. The 23-year-old opened with rounds of 67 and 69 to take a three-shot lead into the weekend. Celine Boutier closed the gap to two after the third round, but Thitikul put the tournament away on Sunday. She birdied the second and third holes while Boutier bogeyed three straight to fall out of contention. While Boutier faded, Ruoning Yin made five birdies on the front nine to get within one of Thitikul, but bogeys at 11 and 16 stalled her championship run, and Thitikul punctuated her title defense by pouring in a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to finish at 13 under and win by four.

In the end, trying less got Jeeno Thitikul where she wanted to go.

“It helped me a lot,” Thitikul said of her new mindset after the win. “I just stayed in my bubble, stayed on what I can do. [If] golf is not going to be good, then golf is not going to be good. My life is not changing. I think what I have to think about is just what I can control.”

As is always the case with Thitikul, the title glow was quickly consumed by questions about when her major breakthrough will come. With the U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera a month away, Thitikul’s mind and game appear to be shaping up at the right time.

That’s something Jeeno Thitikul wants. But it’s not something the World No. 2 will stress over. If her major victory comes, it comes. If it doesn’t, Jeeno Thitikul will be just fine.

“Yeah, that’s always been a dream,” Thitikul said of winning a major. “I will say dream, not goal, to be able to win a major. But I don’t want to put anything on my shoulders right now. I just took all of it out. I just play golf.

“Whether I win a major or not, I think I’ve got enough.”

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WEST CALDWELL, N.J. — Michelle Wie West thought she was prepared to step back into the competitive golf ring. Five wins, a U.S. Women’s Open title and countless professional starts told the 36-year-old that Thursday’s return to the LPGA after three years away wouldn’t feel any different.

Then came 7:37 a.m. at Mountain Ridge Country Club. As she went to tee it up in the first round at the Mizuho Americas Open, her hand shook as she began her first real preparation for next month’s U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club, which is expected to be her final goodbye to competitive golf.

“It was funny, I wasn’t nervous going in, and I get to the first tee, and I’m like, Holy s–t,” Wie West said while laughing after her first round on Thursday. “I was like, Wow. All of a sudden the hole looks so small. Got to a 2-footer and I’m like, ‘I’m not going to hit the hole. No way.'”

It was Wie West’s first competitive start since she rolled in a 30-foot par putt to close the second round of the 2023 U.S. Women’s Open at Pebble Beach, and it was a rocky reminder of all that’s needed to succeed and compete at the top level — and that returning is never as easy as waving goodbye.

She opened with a par but made three straight bogeys before a triple at No. 5. After a double at the ninth, she made the turn in 44, and the bad thoughts that golf can deliver started to seep in.

“Dark, very dark. It got very grim,” Wie West said. “Hole nine, that was dark.

“My husband was talking me off the ledge the whole round, you know. Golf can take you places, and I went places today.”

But as Wie West struggled with the speed of the greens and a right-hand-low grip that won’t be returning, the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open champion noticed a father and his young son walking the course with her. Stephen and his 7-year-old son, Owen, came out to see the return of one of the most famous faces in women’s golf. They walked every hole with Wie West at Mountain Ridge on Thursday, a father and son soaking in the limited return of a golf icon.

When Wie West waved goodbye three years ago at Pebble Beach, it was a calm end to a career that had a massive impact on women’s golf regardless of any trophy count. She may have never reached the lofty expectations some bestowed on her when she burst onto the scene at 14, but she still commanded the attention of millions. Her personality is magnetic, and she has built a deserved reputation as one of the game’s best people — a child prodigy who was not broken by expectation but instead did her best to encourage those kids who wanted to follow in her footsteps.

“I hope that I’ve inspired girls to go out there and make fearless decisions,” Wie West said at Pebble Beach three years ago.

On Thursday, Wie West reached the 14th hole nine over. Owen and his dad looked on from the 15th tee box across the walkway as Wie West surveyed a slick par putt. She expected the putt to slide left. It did, but not as much as Wie West thought, and it rolled past the hole for another bogey. Wie West waved her hand to mimic the break she thought was coming and tapped in to move to 10 over.

As she arrived at the 15th tee, still thinking about the latest in a long line of missed putts, Owen waited on the back of the tee box wearing a blue Sonic the Hedgehog jacket. Wie West walked to the back of the tee, gave Owen a fist bump and a ball. He flashed a big smile and stuffed the treasure in his pocket.

“At the end of the day, there was a dad and a little kid literally walked all 18 and just made my day,” Wie West said. “For me that’s the best part of my day, right? I just find it so awesome that the kids are out here. They’re having fun. Hopefully, they want to play the game.”

After giving Owen his souvenir, Wie West striped her drive and hit a perfect, sawed-off wedge to 7 feet for birdie.

Michelle Wie West wasn’t sure what to expect in the first round of her tune-up for Riviera, a start she will make thanks to a maternity leave extension on her 10-year U.S. Women’s Open exemption she received for her 2014 win at Pinehurst No. 2. She has been grinding to get her game ready, but this was different. It was a brutal reality check, but one that gave her what she needed — even if it didn’t look like it.

“I think playing under nerves is a skill,” Wie West said. “It’s not something you can just wing it. There are tools and mechanisms that you can utilize to play under pressure, and that’s practice, too, right? So I take those feelings that I felt, the nervy feelings that I felt today, I definitely take that as practice.”

Wie West signed for a 10-over 82. (She said she started to settle down after the four-putt at No. 11.) She’ll go back to the claw grip on Friday. There’s work for Wie West to do. On Thursday, there were flashes of her world-class talent — like the perfect wedge at 15 or the blasted drive at 18. But there were also nerves and competitive rust.

“I’m building from here,” Wie West. “I’ve got to give myself a lot of grace.

“At the end of the day, I put things in perspective, and I build upon it, and you have to learn from these kinds of rounds. That’s just what golf is.”

After Wie West tapped in for a closing par, she walked up the rope line toward scoring. Owen and his dad were there waiting for an autograph. Wie West gave him a high five and a smile.

“I’ll come back after I sign my card,” she said.

As they had all day, Stephen and Owen waited for one more glimpse of a golf star who still shines as bright as ever.

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WEST CALDWELL, N.J. — Michelle Wie West is busy this week. On top of the duties that go along with her role as tournament host of the Mizuho Americas Open, the 36-year-old is also playing in this week’s event.

Wednesday at Mountain Ridge Country Club was evidence of the hectic schedule Wie West has to juggle in this (temporary) return to competitive golf. Her morning started with a press conference with the assembled media. Next, she entertained sponsors with a short-game clinic alongside Rose Zhang. A quick lunch followed, and then she trudged into the New Jersey drizzle to warm-up for her pro-am, her routine repeatedly paused to talk with fans or take calls with tournament stakeholders.

In typical Wie West fashion, she’s taking the chaotic week in stride.

“I can use this experience to hopefully become a better tournament host,” she said. “It’s almost like I’m an undercover employee so to speak this week, so I’m really enjoying it.”

Pulling double duty as a player and host is always a challenging proposition (see: Tiger Woods at the Genesis), but Wie West has another factor working against her: she hasn’t played a competitive tournament round in almost three years. With her 10-year exemption for winning the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open expiring after this summer, she announced earlier this spring she would tee it up at Riviera in June. As a part of preparations for her final farewell, she opted to use a sponsor exemption on herself this week to get some competitive reps in.

Nearly three years since her last competitive round, Wie West has been working diligently on her game to ready herself. Ahead of her return to competition, GOLF.com caught up with the five-time LPGA Tour winner for a breakdown of how she’s prepping for the week.

How Michelle Wie West got her game back in shape

1. Relearning how to practice

Getting ready to compete among the game’s best doesn’t happen just by going through the motions. It’s about practicing with purpose and being efficient with her time on the range. For Wie West, that meant relearning how to practice. For help with that, she reached out to her peers and gathered new ideas, piecing together a routine that worked for her again.

“At first, it was really awkward,” Wie West said. “I’d get there and realize I had no idea what I was doing. It’s amazing how you kind of forget how to practice.”

2. Using SportsBox AI

After Wie West got her feel back for how to practice, she needed to figure out what to practice. That’s where the swing analysis app SportsBox AI came in.

“It’s been really amazing,” she said. “I really wish I had it back in the day because it would have shortened my practice time.”

Wie West explained that when she isn’t hitting the ball well, she notices that she sways too much throughout the swing. With SportsBox AI, she can easily zero in on her chest and pelvis sway measurements to make sure she stays within a tolerable range.

3. Gym work

Dialing in her swing didn’t happen just through hitting buckets of balls — it was also the result of plenty of time in the gym. Especially considering the swing faults that creep up in her swing.

“Sway really comes from your body being a little bit lazy,” she said. “Not loading and unloading the right way.”

Wie West’s workouts emphasize glute activation, rotational strength and movement patterns that translate directly to her swing. By addressing the physical foundation of her swing, she’s creating more reliable mechanics and a move that will hold up even during long weeks on — and off — the course.

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The post ‘Coca-cola’: Nelly Korda explains the secret behind her smooth tempo appeared first on Golf.

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Fresh off her 18th LPGA Tour win at the 2026 Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba, Nelly Korda joined the Pat McAfee Show on Monday to discuss her recent major championship victory, her dominance in the game and even the evolution of her swing.

But the most valuable takeaway came when Korda revealed the key to her famously fluid swing.

When asked by McAfee about how her swing has changed since she started playing, Korda was quick to credit her swing coach, David Whelan, who she explained has played a critical role in shaping her current swing. Korda also placed emphasis on the early influence of her parents, saying it was a simple swing cue from her dad that has helped her maintain her smooth tempo throughout her career.

“[My parents] spent so many hours with me just working on tempo” Korda said, “that is the one thing they ingrained into my brain. My dad always referred to it as “coca-cola…”

What started as a simple childhood cue for building rhythm became the foundation of Korda’s entire swing. Her “coca-cola” mantra isn’t about literal timing, but about preventing any sense of rushing. By anchoring her tempo to that easy, two-beat cadence, she developed the sequencing needed to swing smoothly.

“That was the key,” she continued, “It was super simple but it was the key to having a very fluid swing.”

If you want to build this into your swing, start at half speed. Make a few practice swings focusing only on a steady rhythm, not mechanics. Once that feels natural, gradually add speed while maintaining your tempo.

You can use your transition as a checkpoint. If your swing feels jerky or rushed as you start your downswing, your tempo is probably off. Remember, good swings stay smooth through that change of direction.

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The post Nelly Korda’s emphatic Riviera Maya win ended with a golf ‘humbling’ appeared first on Golf.

A week ago, Nelly Korda lifted her arms in triumph at the Chevron Championship, the year’s first major. She raised them high as the Houston sun set behind her and then brought them down emphatically, having just survived a mentally taxing weekend at Memorial Park.

Seven days later, Korda rolled in a bogey putt on the 18th hole at El Camaleón Golf Course at Mayakoba and stretched her arms out briefly before dropping them and lightly punching the air to celebrate a four-shot win at the Riviera Maya Open, her third of the season and second in a row.

It was another romp for Korda, who now has six top-two finishes in a row to start the season. This one felt different but came with even more history for the best player on the planet.

With the win, she became the youngest American since Nancy Lopez in 1980 to reach 18 career victories. She became the first player to win in the start after winning a major since Celine Boutier won the 2023 Scottish Open after winning the Evian. Korda is the first American to achieve the feat since Meg Mallon in 2024. She has more wins this season (3) than players who have finished ahead of her this season (Hyo Joo Kim twice, Lauren Coughlin).

Korda didn’t have to play in Mexico. After romping at the Chevron to win her third major title, she could’ve cited physical fatigue and dropped out to go enjoy her latest marquee victory. But instead, the newly-minted World No. 1 chose to tee it up in Mexico and continue her dominant run. Why did she do it? Because Nelly Korda is chasing something unquantifiable.

“Whatever I set my heart to,” Korda said pre-tournament about her next goal. “I mean, I just love competing and I love being out here competing. I’m always striving to be better and to contend in every major, every tournament. Just because what I’ve accomplished, what’s funny with sports is that’s in the past. What you want to do is look to the future and look to improve and look to it contend in the bigger events. Even if you get beat, it doesn’t matter. That’s kind of what motivates me to continuously put myself in that position.”

News

Nelly Korda conquered herself to win the Chevron Championship

By: Josh Schrock

For Korda, that manifested itself in a week that saw her go 60 holes without a bogey. On Sunday, Korda entered the final round with a three-shot lead and then delivered an early haymaker to the field when she went eagle-birdie-birdie at 5, 6 and 7 to stretch her lead to seven. From there, all that was left was a walk to another trophy and another step toward the LPGA Hall of Fame.

But golf has a way of getting the last laugh even when you’re at your best. For Korda, that moment came on her final hole of the week, the par-5 18th.

With music pumping and the Mexico crowd ready to celebrate another Nelly Korda win, Korda lost her tee shot right into the jungle. After a provisional, she hit her third into the fairway bunker and then flew her next shot over the green and into the patrons. Korda’s chip from the sandy area behind the green rolled past the pin and left her a lengthy bogey putt. Of course, Nelly Korda rolled that in and then had to laugh about her adventure to her latest trophy.

“You just never know,” Korda told Karen Stupples after the round. “It’s golf. Like on the last hole here, I was humbled by golf there. I had a pretty smooth day and on the last hole just kind of like humbles you a little bit.”

Korda now has 18 career LPGA wins and 23 of the 27 points needed to qualify for the LPGA Hall of Fame. She’ll take next week off to rest and soak up the latest batch of brilliant golf. Then, she’ll head to Cincinnati for the Kroger Queen City Championship before turning her attention to the U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club.

But Nelly Korda isn’t looking far into the future. She knows her focus has to be on the next step. Because, as the 18th hole on Sunday showed her, you never know when the next obstacle might arrive.

“I’m just happy to be competing out here healthy, motivated,” Korda said on Sunday. “You know, I’m so happy on the golf course. I’m happy off the golf course. I just think that, yes, I am living my best life for sure. But golf also humbles you, so I know that I need to enjoy these moments.

“There have been so many times that legends have told me to smell the roses, so now I have a week off and I can officially smell the roses for a few days.”

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In what is becoming routine (again), Nelly Korda holds a big lead heading into the final round of an LPGA event. This time, it’s the 2026 Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba, where Korda has reached 14 under through three rounds.

That’s good enough for a three-shot lead over her nearest challenger, Arpichaya Yubol.

Korda’s latest LPGA blitz comes just one week after her last. At the 2026 Chevron Championship, the first LPGA major of the year, Korda put together a five-stroke victory for her second Chevron title and third career major win.

The victory also saw Korda retake the No. 1 position in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.

Nelly Korda with 3-shot lead: ‘You’re never going to have your A-game’

This week, Korda has gone 68-67-67 over the first three rounds at El Camaleon Golf Course to build her advantage.

Despite her dominant performance so far, Korda surprisingly admitted she didn’t have her “A-game” this week in her press conference Saturday evening.

“I feel good. I love competing,” Korda said. “You’re never going to have your A-game.”

She elaborated on her point, explaining that even the greatest players have to find a way to win when their games aren’t in perfect shape.

News

Nelly Korda conquered herself to win the Chevron Championship

By: Josh Schrock

“A lot of players, if you talk to them in the past, a common question, or I think a question a lot of people should ask is like, did you win with your A-game? Did you win your B-game or your C-game?” Korda said. “I’ve talked to guys, I’ve talked to girls, and rarely have they ever said, I won with my A-game that week. It’s all about just grinding it out and being confident in knowing that you know, you’re going to make mistakes, but not to emphasize them too much and to quickly try and bounce back.”

And Korda has certainly done that this season. Her Chevron title was her second of the year, following her first at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. Though that victory was given to her when the tournament was called after 54 holes.

In all three of her other starts this season, Korda has finished runner-up. That record through five starts (1-2-2-T2-1) is mind-bendingly good. But Korda has not been immune to a late swoon when in contention this year.

At the 2026 Fortinet Founders Cup, Korda was tied for the lead with eight holes to play when a late three-putt doomed her chances at victory. At the 2026 Ford Championship, she watched her 36-hole lead vanish, resulting in another runner-up. She shot a 75 on Sunday at the Aramco Championship to finish T2.

Korda, however, is confident in her chances on Sunday in Mexico. As she said after her third round, she knows she will make mistakes, but experience has taught her how to expect, and overcome, them.

“Experience. Just not knowing that it’s not the 18th hole, I don’t need to press just to be smart. Also, I have a great caddie that does his homework, that walks the golf course, that’s how the greens are reactive, that you just kind of try to avoid the mistakes as much as possible,” Korda said on Saturday. “You’re gonna hit a bad shot here and there and you’re gonna find yourself in trouble, but trying to kind of stay away from the holes that kind of lead you to trouble. I think it’s the goal and be aggressive on a par-5 that you hit a good tee shot. It’s all about placement out here because it is a really hard golf course.”

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The post AIG Women’s Open purse hits major milestone after latest prize money increase appeared first on Golf.

The post AIG Women’s Open purse hits major milestone after latest prize money increase appeared first on Golf.

Purses and prize money have skyrocketed in women’s pro golf in recent years, and that trend is continuing in 2026. First, the Chevron Championship announced a big increase. Now the AIG Women’s Open is following suit.

On Tuesday, the R&A announced that at the 2026 AIG Women’s Open at Royal Lytham & St Annes, players will be competing for record purse of $10 million.

AIG Women’s Open purse has tripled in 8 years

The new AIG Women’s Open purse of $10 million is only a modest increase of $250,000 from last year’s $9.75 million total payout. But the tournament’s purse has been increasing regularly for years now, as R&A CEO Mark Darbon noted in the press release announcing the latest increase.

“This is the sixth consecutive year that the AIG Women’s Open prize fund has been increased,” said Mark Darbon. “These consistent and sustainable investments in the prize fund clearly demonstrate The R&A and AIG’s commitment to elevating the Championship on the global stage.”

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When we look back to recent history, we can see just how dramatic the prize money increases have been for the LPGA.

The last time the Women’s Open was held at this year’s host course, Royal Lytham & St Annes, was in 2018. The total purse that year was just $3.25 million. That means that in just eight years the AIG Women’s Open purse has tripled in size.

Whoever wins this year’s event will take home a record winner’s share of $1.5 million.

How AIG Women’s Open purse compares to other majors

Last week, the LPGA played its first major of the season at the Chevron Championship. And they played for a lot more money than in 2025. The total 2026 Chevron Championship purse was $9 million, up $1 million from the year prior thanks to an infusion from sponsor JM Eagle.

Nelly Korda took home $1.375 million for her Chevron victory.

Just one week before at the 2026 JM Eagle LA Championship, the JM Eagle CEO announced a $1 million purse increase for that event live on TV mid-tournament.

News

2026 Chevron Championship purse: Payout info, winner's share

By: James Colgan

The new $10 million purse at the AIG Women’s Open still surpasses the increased Chevron purse by $1 million. But two other majors offer even bigger purses than the Women’s Open.

Both the U.S. Women’s Open and KPMG Women’s PGA Championship sported $12 million purses last season. But the winner’s shares at those two events were different. At the Women’s PGA, winner Minjee Lee took home $1.8 million. At the 2025 U.S. Women’s Open, Maja Stark earned a whopping $2.4 million for her victory.

But all of the LPGA major winner’s payouts pale in comparison to the CME Group Tour Championship. The LPGA’s season-ending event features a $4 million winner’s share.

How do the LPGA major purses compare to men’s majors? The biggest purse at a men’s majors in 2025 was $21.5 million at the U.S. Open. The smallest men’s major purse was $17 million at the Open Championship.

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The post Nelly Korda’s clubs: What’s in her Chevron Championship-winning bag appeared first on Golf.

The post Nelly Korda’s clubs: What’s in her Chevron Championship-winning bag appeared first on Golf.

Nelly Korda won the Chevron Championship for the second time in three years Sunday for her third major title and to return to the top of the Rolex Women’s Rankings.

Her victory means that both of the year’s first major winners on the men’s and women’s tours earned the victory using a TaylorMade Qi4D driver.

Korda switched into a Qi4D driver this offseason, breaking a streak of using TaylorMade’s “Max” model driver since signing with the company in 2023 and going back to her days at Titleist playing their “1” models. She also made a shaft switch to Graphite Design’s Tour AD-FI driver shaft.

The victory came with Korda’s TaylorMade NK Proto putter, which she switched to last fall, that mimics the shape of the previous putter she used to win six of her seven victories in 2024.

Keep reading below for all of Korda’s WITB specs.

Nelly Korda’s winning WITB at the 2026 Masters

Driver: TaylorMade Qi4D 10.5˚
FCT Sleeve: Upright 1 Towards Higher
Front weights: 5g Heel, 3g Toe
Back weights: 3g Heel, 3g Toe
Shaft: Graphite Design Tour AD FI 6-S
Length: 44 3/4’’ CUT

TaylorMade Qi4D Custom Driver

SHAPED FOR SPEED The re-engineered head profile increases ball speed thanks to improved aerodynamics developed through advanced simulations. FACE FOR DISTANCE 60x Carbon Twist Face™ is a technological cornerstone that provides weight savings, incredible ball speed and more consistency vs. a titanium face. ADJUSTABLE PERFORMANCE 4° loft sleeve can be used to adjust loft, lie and face angle for optimized flight. TOUR PROVEN TECHNOLOGIES New and improved cut-through Speed Pocket™ protects ball speed and reduces spin on low-face strikes. Advanced CAD modeling creates a design with a clean and powerful sound, a foundation of TaylorMade driver performance. Multi-Material Construction allows engineers to strategically place mass in areas of the head where it maximizes performance, speed, and stability.

$649.99 from Fairway Jockey

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Graphite Design Tour AD FI Wood Shaft

The Graphite Design Tour AD FI (Flight Intelligence) wood shaft brings a fresh evolution to the Tour AD lineup, engineered with precision in Graphite Design’s Japan factory. Designed to deliver mid-level launch with low to mid-low spin, it incorporates advanced materials like AD Shield, Torayca M40X, and T1100G, along with the brand’s unique Tornado Tip Technology. Visually, the shaft stands out with a refined butt-section weave, an updated Tour AD logo, and a bold teal-to-black gradient finish at the tip—blending high performance with a sleek, modern look.

$379.00 from Fairway Jockey

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3-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2
Actual loft: 15˚
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Red 7-S

7-wood: TaylorMade Stealth 2
Actual loft: 21˚
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Black 7-S

TaylorMade Qi4D Custom Fairway Wood

PROVEN RECIPE TaylorMade Fairways have dominated on Tour for over a decade because of their unique performance recipe, which enables maximum distance and versatility. The Qi4D fairway is designed for golfers who want the most advanced technology while still prioritizing versatility and control with amazing distance. ADJUSTABLE PERFORMANCE Utilizing a single Trajectory Adjustment System weight (8g x1) provides the golfer a more mass efficient way to adjust flight, spin and swing weight. 4° loft sleeve can be used to adjust loft, lie and face angle for optimized flight and is available in all lofts. REFINED ATTRIBUTES, BIG CHANGES Engineers conducted an objective analysis of all the performance attributes and discovered new methods to enhance performance and confidence. Sit points, lie angles, address views, and center of gravity locations were all updated based on Tour feedback and the expertise of leading fitters worldwide, ensuring the optimal fairway across skill levels. TOUR-PROVEN TECHNOLOGIES New and improved cut-through Speed Pocket™ protects ball speed and reduces spin on low-face strikes. Advanced CAD modeling creates a design with a clean and powerful sound, a foundation for TaylorMade fairway performance. Twist Face™ features corrective face curvature designed to provide straighter shots on mishits. Multi-Material Construction allows engineers to maximize performance by increasing discretionary weight.

$379.99 from Fairway Jockey

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Hybrid: Ping G425
Loft: 26˚ @ 25˚
Shaft: Fujikura Ventus Blue HB 7 S

Irons: TaylorMade P770 (5), P7CB (5-PW)
Shaft: AeroTech SteelFiber i80 cw
Length: 37″ 7-iron
Loft Progression: 26/30/34/38/42/46
Lie Progression: 64/64.5/65/65.5/66/66

TaylorMade P7CB Custom Irons

BEST-IN CLASS FEEL Using Tour feedback and modal analysis we’ve strategically designed mass placement for best in class feel. Crafted using Compact Grain Forging and 2000 tons of pressure to deliver the purest feeling 1025 soft carbon steel possible. PRECISE CONTROL Precise milled face and grooves combined with a constant CG the P•7CB is designed to deliver an optimal launch and spin combination for the ultimate control and precision. CONSISTENCY Created to maximize accuracy and consistency. The P•7CB optimized perimeter weighting and co-forged tungsten designed to deliver a beautiful blend of stability and workability. COMPACT TOUR SHAPING Every aspect of shaping in this iron was intended to meet the needs of discerning ball strikers. A compact blade length and thin topline create a confident, clean look in the playing position while the sole camber and progressive bounce profile provide consistent turf interaction.

$200.00 from Fairway Jockey

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Wedges: TaylorMade MG4 (50), MG Proto (54), Titleist Vokey SM11 (60)
Lofts/Grinds: 50-SB, 54-HB, 60.04T
Shafts: AeroTech SteelFiber i95 cw

TaylorMade Milled Grind 5 Custom Wedge

FORGED FEEL Incredible feel is a must for having a great wedge game. MG5 has been forged from soft carbon steel and designed with geometry to provide excellent feel with great feedback. MAXIMUM SPIN MG5 uses all-new, more aggressive grooves designed to maximize spin. Saw-milled grooves produce tighter tolerances allowing engineers to design steeper walls and sharper radii intended to maximize spin in both dry and damp conditions. PERFORMANCE IN ALL CONDITIONS RAW face with Spin Tread technology channels away moisture to help retain spin. The same way that tire treads help your car stay connected to the road, laser-etched channels redirect water at impact and creates more friction between the club face and golf ball to maintain spin in wet conditions. CRAFTSMANSHIP MEETS CONSISTENCY  Crafted by hand and then milled to perfection. Each wedge and sole grind are precision-milled to eliminate the natural human error that comes with hand polishing. Our grinds deliver unmatched consistency and craftsmanship that players can count on every time. CHARCOAL FINISH MG5 debuts a sleek, sophisticated charcoal finish that reduces glare and enhances its aesthetic appeal in the bag.

$199.99 from Fairway Jockey

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Putter: TaylorMade NK Proto

Ball: TaylorMade 2026 TP5x (Tour Version)

TaylorMade 2026 TP5x Golf Balls

Built on the success of the best Team TaylorMade athletes in the world, TP5x is designed to deliver unparalleled low spin and distance off the tee and world-class feel and control where you need it most around the green. Microcoating No two golf balls are the same, but the all-new TP5x sets out to solve an invisible problem through our revolutionary microcoating finish process. Uneven paint and excess pooling in the dimples can compromise distance and accuracy. Microcoating uses precision application technology to ensure uniform coverage across the ball’s entire surface. Click on the video for a deep dive. Thinner Than a Human Hair Microcoating is thinner than a human hair and delivers measurable performance advantages: more consistent ball flight, optimized distance, and tight left-to-right dispersion. Tour-Level Speed The reengineered Speed Wrapped Core in TP5x increases the coefficient of restitution (COR) for exceptional ball speed at the top end of your bag.

$57.99 from Fairway Jockey

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Grip: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 58 Round

Golf Pride Tour Velvet Cord Grip

OUR VAN ACCESS: The winningest cord grip on Tour. The Tour Velvet Cord Midsize was trusted to win two majors in 2019. It features Brushed Cotton Cord Technology (BCT) – a woven cotton twill fiber material that increases traction and performance in all weather conditions.

$13.00 from Fairway Jockey

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Want to overhaul your bag for 2026? Find a club-fitting location near you at True Spec Golf.

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