Nelly Korda is a 4-time major champion and World No. 1 golfer. Learn about her age, net worth, fiancé Casey Gunderson, career wins, and historic 2026 season.
Nelly Korda is the best women’s golfer on the planet right now, and arguably the most dominant athlete in all of professional golf in 2026. Born into a legendary sporting family and raised in Bradenton, Florida, the 27-year-old American has transformed herself from a promising LPGA prospect into a four-time major champion, Olympic gold medalist, and the face of women’s golf worldwide.
Her 2026 season alone reads like a highlight reel. Korda won the Chevron Championship for the second time, then followed it up just days ago by capturing the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club — the one major title that had eluded her — to claim her fourth major championship. With 19 LPGA Tour victories and counting, she is now within four points of LPGA Hall of Fame qualification. The Nelly Korda era is very much in full swing.
Quick Facts About Nelly Korda
| Detail | Information |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Nelly Korda |
| Date of Birth | July 28, 1998 |
| Age | 27 years old (as of 2026) |
| Birthplace | Bradenton, Florida, U.S. |
| Nationality | American |
| Profession | Professional Golfer (LPGA Tour) |
| Net Worth | ~$10 million (est. 2025) |
| Annual Earnings | ~$12.5 million (golf + endorsements, 2024) |
| Fiancé | Casey Gunderson (engaged November 2025) |
| Major Wins | 4 (2021 Women’s PGA, 2024 & 2026 Chevron, 2026 U.S. Women’s Open) |
| LPGA Tour Wins | 19 |
| World Ranking | No. 1 |
| Famous For | Olympic gold medal, 7 LPGA wins in 2024, 2026 U.S. Women’s Open |
Early Life: Born Into a Sporting Dynasty
Nelly Korda was born on July 28, 1998, in Bradenton, Florida, into one of the most athletically gifted families in sports history. Her father, Petr Korda, is a Czech tennis legend who won the 1998 Australian Open and the 1997 Grand Slam Cup. Her mother, Regina Rajchrtová, was also a professional tennis player. Winning, it seems, runs in the blood. Growing up, Nelly was surrounded by athletes and competition.
Her older sister Jessica Korda became an LPGA Tour player before her, and the two have maintained a remarkably close bond that extends right onto the golf course. Her younger brother Sebastian Korda followed the family’s tennis tradition and turned professional, reaching the top 25 in the ATP rankings. The Korda household was never short of sporting ambition.
Nelly picked up golf at just six years old and quickly showed an aptitude that set her apart. She took lessons three times a week and developed the clean, powerful swing that coaches and commentators still marvel at today. By the time she was a teenager, it was clear she was destined for professional golf.
Amateur Career and Early Promise
Korda’s talent announced itself loudly long before she turned professional. At just 14 years old, she qualified for the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open — an extraordinary feat that signalled her exceptional potential to the entire golf world. In 2015, she was named an AJGA Rolex Junior All-American and won both the Harder Hall Invitational and the PING Invitational as an amateur.
She turned professional in 2016, beginning on the Symetra Tour (now the Epson Tour). Her very first professional win came at the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge, where she won by three strokes. That performance was enough to earn her LPGA Tour card for the 2017 season by finishing ninth on the money list — a remarkable result for a teenager in her debut professional year.
LPGA Career: A Decade of Dominance
Korda wasted no time making her mark on the LPGA Tour. In 2018, she claimed her first LPGA title at the Swinging Skirts LPGA Taiwan Championship alongside her sister Jessica — making them the third pair of sisters to win an LPGA title together. It was a milestone moment that captured the warmth and competitiveness of the Korda family dynamic. Her breakthrough on the major stage came in 2021, when she won the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Atlanta Athletic Club for her first major title.
That same year she finished as year-end World No. 1 and was named GWAA Female Player of the Year. She also added an Olympic gold medal to her collection at the Tokyo Summer Games, completing a remarkable 12 months that announced her as the sport’s true superstar. After a quieter stretch, Korda returned with an extraordinary 2024 campaign that is already the stuff of LPGA legend. She won seven times on tour, including the Chevron Championship — producing one of the most dominant seasons in LPGA history.
At one point, she won five consecutive starts, joining Nancy Lopez and Annika Sorenstam as the only players to achieve that feat. She was named LPGA Tour Player of the Year, won the Race to the CME Globe, received the Rolex Annika Major Award, and was again crowned GWAA Female Player of the Year. Her 2026 season has continued where 2024 left off. In eight starts, Korda has won four times, finished second or tied for second in three others, with a tie for eighth as her only non-top-two result. The season’s centrepiece came on June 7, 2026, when she closed with a 2-under 69 at Riviera Country Club to win the U.S. Women’s Open by one shot — the title that had long felt like the final piece of her legacy.
The 2026 U.S. Women’s Open: A Historic Win
Winning at Riviera was far from straightforward. Korda opened with a 2-over 73, falling seven shots off the lead after the first round. On the driving range that Thursday evening, her sister Jessica spotted a grip issue and suggested a subtle tweak. Nelly trusted it. She then fired back-to-back 67s in rounds two and three to vault herself into contention.
The final round was an intense, tightly-packed battle with Charley Hull, Gaby Lopez, Sei Young Kim, and In Gee Chun all pressing. Korda birdied the par-5 17th to take the solo lead, then parred the 18th to win by one. The victory — her fourth major — earned her $2.5 million in prize money and gave her the one championship that still felt like the loudest missing piece in her résumé. She credited Jessica with a key role in the turnaround all week.
Personal Life: Fiancé Casey Gunderson
Off the course, Nelly Korda is engaged to Casey Gunderson, a private individual who works at an engineering firm. The couple first met as teenagers at the IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, but reconnected in late 2024 after years apart. Korda announced their engagement on November 28, 2025, via a social media carousel of photos that delighted her millions of followers. Gunderson is a former college football player and by all accounts an active, athletic person — though not a golfer.
Korda has joked about seeing his swing twice and deciding that was enough. The couple plan to marry in 2027 and are said to be balancing the demands of her tour schedule with building their life together. Korda does not wear her engagement ring during competition, though she has spoken warmly about the design Gunderson chose, which incorporates both of their birthstones.
Nelly is known for being guarded about her private life. She has spoken openly about wanting to keep as much of her personal world separate from golf as possible, valuing the normalcy it provides amid the relentless spotlight of being the world’s top-ranked player.
Net Worth and Endorsements
Nelly Korda’s net worth is estimated at approximately $10 million as of 2025, according to Celebrity Net Worth. However, her total annual earnings paint a more impressive picture. In 2024, Forbes reported she earned approximately $12.5 million, comprising roughly $4.5 million in prize money and $8 million in endorsements — making her one of the highest-paid women in professional golf. Her endorsement portfolio is among the strongest on the LPGA Tour and includes partnerships with Nike, TaylorMade, BMW Group, Cisco, Delta Air Lines, Goldman Sachs, Grant Thornton, Richard Mille, T-Mobile, and Whoop.
In 2025, she also appeared in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, further expanding her commercial profile beyond golf. With a fourth major now in the bag and LPGA Hall of Fame qualification on the horizon, her market value is only heading in one direction.
Awards and Achievements
Korda’s trophy cabinet reflects a career that has elevated the entire sport of women’s golf. Her major titles span four championships and two different decades. She has spent over 100 weeks as World No. 1 in the Women’s World Golf Rankings and finished as year-end number one in both 2021 and 2024.
She is a two-time GWAA Female Player of the Year, a Race to the CME Globe champion, a Rolex Annika Major Award winner, and a 2020 Olympic gold medalist. As of June 2026, she is within four points of qualifying for the LPGA Hall of Fame.
Final Thoughts
Nelly Korda is not simply the best women’s golfer in the world right now — she is building one of the most complete legacies the LPGA Tour has ever seen. From qualifying for the U.S. Women’s Open at 14 to winning it at 27, her journey has been defined by patience, precision, and the kind of quiet confidence that only comes from years of relentless preparation. The 2026 season is not over, and there are more majors still to play.
With four titles already in hand, Hall of Fame qualification within sight, and a wedding to look forward to in 2027, Nelly Korda enters the second half of 2026 as the most compelling figure in women’s sport. Her best golf may still be ahead of her.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q1: Who is Nelly Korda?
Nelly Korda is an American professional golfer born on July 28, 1998, in Bradenton, Florida. She is the Women’s World No. 1 and a four-time major champion. She is widely regarded as the best women’s golfer in the world in 2026.
Q2: How many majors has Nelly Korda won?
Nelly Korda has won four major championships: the 2021 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, the 2024 Chevron Championship, the 2026 Chevron Championship, and the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open at Riviera Country Club.
Q3: What is Nelly Korda’s net worth?
Nelly Korda’s net worth is estimated at around $10 million as of 2025. In 2024 alone, she earned approximately $12.5 million from prize money and endorsements combined, making her one of the highest-paid female athletes in the world.
Q4: Who is Nelly Korda’s fiancé?
Nelly Korda is engaged to Casey Gunderson, a former college football player who works at an engineering firm. The couple first met at IMG Academy in Florida and got engaged in November 2025. They plan to marry in 2027.
Q5: Who are Nelly Korda’s parents?
Nelly Korda’s father is Petr Korda, a Czech professional tennis player who won the 1998 Australian Open. Her mother, Regina Rajchrtová, was also a professional tennis player. Her sister Jessica is an LPGA Tour player, and her brother Sebastian is a professional tennis player.
Q6: Did Nelly Korda win the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open?
Yes. Nelly Korda won the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open on June 7, 2026, at Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, California. She closed with a 2-under 69, birdying the 17th hole to win by one shot and claim her fourth major championship.
Q7: Is Nelly Korda in the LPGA Hall of Fame?
Not yet, but she is close. As of May 2026, Korda is within four points of qualifying for the LPGA Hall of Fame. Given her current pace of wins and major titles, she is widely expected to reach the milestone in the near future.
