Belly by Nelly Korda it was based on a number of mantras as she ascended to the top of the sport. In 2018, Korda, still looking for her first LPGA win, was frustrated and practicing at the Concession when Hollis Stacy, Hollis Stacy, gave some advice: “When the time is right,” Stacy told Korda. Korda wrote that phrase in his yardage book and won the following week at the 2018 Swinging Skirts. During his historic 2024 run, Korda wrote four sentences from his coach Jamie Mulligan in his yardage book and looked at them between each stroke: Don’t think. Don’t stress. Stay in the moment. Let it flow.
At first win the 2026 US Women’s Open in Riviera this year, Korda wrote motivational messages and put them on sticky notes on the bathroom mirror. Before Sunday’s final round, Korda’s message was simple: Whatever happens happens. Just give it 100 percent.
The mantras helped Nelly Korda climb the ladder, allowing her to focus on the here and now – the next shot – instead of letting his mind wander to the bigger picture: the dreams she is realizing and the big goals on the horizon.
All those mantras put Korda on the doorstep of history at this week’s Annika at the Pelican. After taking eight weeks off from competitive golf post-Solheim Cup, Korda returned to the arena one step closer to another career achievement: the LPGA Hall of Fame. Korda won the LPGA Player of the Year Award while resting and recharging. That award comes with one Hall of Fame point, putting the four-time major winner at 26 points. A win this week or next at the CME Group Tour Championship or anytime in the future will make Korda the 36th member of the LPGA Hall of Fame.
Korda opened Thursday with a bogey-free 7-under 63 to jump into early contention at the Annika and closer to history. But Korda’s focus isn’t on the unfolding story; whether it arrives this week or in the future is not of concern to the world No. 1. It is in this position because it has always been present, letting its love of competition and the desire to win advance. The rest takes care of itself.
“Is the Hall of Fame something that really seems to me? Not at all. I mean, I’m just focused on being competitive and trying to give everything,” Korda said on Thursday. “The accolades are fantastic. I’m also honored to be in that position. Honored to be the Player of the Year. What drives me is the competitive tournament I’m currently in. Like I want to do the best I possibly can where I’m currently. After that, everything else is out of my control.”
If the mantras helped Nelly Korda reach the doors of history, another one that he shared earlier this year could be what unlocks them.
At the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, Korda, who was shooting for her third consecutive major, was asked about the pressure of trying to get to the Hall of Fame. The kind of pressure that Lydia Ko felt before she finally he topped that mountain during a magical summer in 2024. But while Ko was open about his quest for the Hall of Fame and how he had to deal with the challenge of finding another mountain to climb after doing it, Korda was adamant that she didn’t feel anything because it’s never her focus. He has big dreams – one of which he achieved in Riviera – but he believes that you can only get there by focusing your attention on the controllable. That success comes from being consistent, dedicated and willing to put in the work, not chasing something great in the distance. Doing A gets you closer to B, but you can’t get to the final destination if you only think about the end result. Korda admitted that the LPGA Hall of Fame was “tough” to get into, but she wanted to remain oblivious to how close or far she was from a monumental achievement.
“But (is it) a motivating factor for me and I like to think about it? Not necessarily,” Korda told Hazeltine. “I just love to play golf and I love to be in the hunt in tournaments. I always say that good golf solves everything, and that’s my main focus – just trying to play good golf consistently.”
A point stands between Korda and history. It could come this week or next. But it will come. He is 28 years old and the undisputed best player in the world. A winless 2025 helped him reorient things and find the keys to playing “Nelly Golf”. What you do focus on positivity and freedom helped to repeat winning four times this yearincluding catch his white whale at the US Women’s Open. More wins will come and with them a place in the LPGA pantheon.
All that remains for Nelly Korda is to play good golf and take her place in history… when the time is right.