NELLY KORDA has clinched the LPGA Tour’s 2024 Rolex Player of the Year award following the conclusion of the TOTO Japan Classic.
Korda is the second consecutive American to earn the Rolex Player of the Year, following Lilia Vu in 2023. It is the first time that Americans have won the award in back-to-back years since Betsy King (1993) and Beth Daniel (1994). Korda is the 27th different player to earn the award since its inception in 1966.
“Winning the Rolex Player of the Year means so much to me,” said Korda on receiving the award. “This season has had its highs and challenges, and I’m just really grateful for the people around me who have helped me get here. It’s been a team effort, and I’m proud to share this moment with them.”
In her 2024 historic season, Korda claimed six victories and three additional top-10 finishes. She opened her eighth LPGA Tour season with a tie for 16th at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, and proceeded to win each of her next five starts: the LPGA Drive On Championship, the FIR HILLS SERI PAK Championship, the Ford Championship presented by KCC, the T-Mobile Match Play presented by MGM Rewards and The Chevron Championship, her second career major title. The 26-year-old recorded another top-10 finish at the Cognizant Founders Cup (T7) before earning her sixth victory of the year at the Mizuho Americas Open. In her most recent starts, she secured two more top-five finishes at the AIG Women’s Open and the Kroger Queen City Championship presented by P&G.
She also represented the United States at the women’s golf competition in the 2024 Paris Olympics and made her fourth appearance on the US Solheim Cup Team in September, helping the team to a three-point victory at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.
Following her second victory of the year, she ascended once again to No. 1 in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings for the sixth time in her career and still maintains her position. After her second-place finish at the AIG Women’s Open, Korda also secured the Rolex ANNIKA Major Award, and will accept both awards at the Rolex LPGA Awards on Wednesday, Nov. 20, during the CME Group Tour Championship.
With four events remaining in the 2024 LPGA Tour season, only Ayaka Furue had the potential to catch Korda entering the TOTO Japan Classic. To tie Korda for the award, Furue needed to win each of the next four events on the schedule: the TOTO Japan Classic, the LOTTE Championship presented by Hoakalei, The ANNIKA driven by Gainbridge at Pelican, and the CME Group Tour Championship. Since Furue did not win the TOTO Japan Classic, Korda has officially earned the Player of the Year title.
The prestigious Rolex Player of the Year award was introduced to the LPGA in 1966, and each year, the recipient earns one point toward the LPGA Hall of Fame. LPGA Tour players are awarded points at each official LPGA tournament based on top-10 finishes with the top points earner for the season taking home the honor each year. Points are doubled at each of the LPGA Tour’s five major championships – The Chevron Championship, the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the US Women’s Open, the Amundi Evian Championship and the AIG Women’s Open.
