World No. 1 Yahoo Sports concluded her 2026 major campaign by tying for fourth place at the AIG Women’s Open held at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club in Lancashire, England. Korda finished the tournament at 2-under-par after firing a 3-under 68 in her final round, which included a long birdie putt on the 18th hole after she opened the day with consecutive birdies. Her performance fell short of the victory she needed to secure her third major title of the season and a spot in the LPGA Hall of Fame.
Nelly Korda Finishes Fourth at AIG Women’s Open
The tournament was won by Shiho Kuwaki, who claimed her maiden major title in a playoff against Esther Henseleit on the second extra hole. Henseleit had forced the playoff by sinking a 45-foot birdie putt on the 72nd hole to match her final-round 70. Overnight leader Yealimi Noh finished alone in third place one shot ahead of Korda, while Korda and Jeeno Thitikul shared fourth place.
A Story of Alternating Rounds and Links Golf Challenges
Korda’s path to fourth place involved an up-and-down scorecard across the four days in England. She opened the championship with a 2-over 73 on Thursday before bouncing back with a 68 in the second round to get back into contention. However, a third-round 73 on Saturday—marked by a pair of double bogeys and a six on the final hole—left her eight shots behind the lead entering Sunday.
Reflecting on the championship, Korda noted her ongoing adaptation to links golf, the traditional style characteristic of coastal courses in the United Kingdom. I would say I have a little bit of a love/hate relationship with it, depending on the bounces that I get,
Korda said in a news conference. It can get a lot sometimes when, like you feel like you’re hitting it good and then you kind of get really bad bounces.
She also pointed out the physical and mental toll of the schedule surrounding the final major of the season. Coming off a condensed stretch of high-pressure majors during the middle of the year, Korda admitted that fatigue can make the unpredictable bounces on links courses harder to handle mentally.
Reflecting on a Successful 2026 Season and Star Status
Despite missing out on a historic third major—which would have made her the first woman to win three majors in a single season since Inbee Park in 2013—Korda’s fourth-place finish capped an impressive bounce-back campaign following a winless 2025 season. Earlier in the year, she captured both the Chevron Championship and the U.S. Women’s Open.
Having recently turned 28, Korda has increasingly embraced her role as one of the sport’s most visible stars and the top-ranked player in women’s golf. Addressing her position in the sport, she noted that she has learned to navigate public attention authentically rather than trying to please everyone. I’m at a stage in my career and at a stage where I’m just going to be myself,
she said. If people don’t like it, that’s fine. If that inspires the next generation, that’s great. That’s what I would like.
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