Nelly Korda on Brink of LPGA Hall of Fame at KPMG Women's PGA Championship

Nelly Korda enters the KPMG Women's PGA Championship needing only two points to secure her place in the LPGA Hall of Fame. A win at Sahalee Country Club would not only mark her third major championship victory of the season but also immediately qualify her for the Hall, a feat not accomplished by an American since Juli Inkster in 1999. Korda is currently listed at +700 (Bovada) to win the championship.

The LPGA Hall of Fame is recognized as one of the most challenging in sports to enter, requiring 27 points for induction. Regular LPGA tour victories contribute one point, while major championships are worth two. Korda has amassed four wins this season, including major titles at the Chevron Championship and the U.S. Women's Open. Should she triumph this week, she would achieve three legs of the calendar grand slam, a rare accomplishment in professional golf.

Even without a win at the KPMG Women's PGA, Korda has other avenues to reach the 27-point threshold. She is a strong contender to earn two points at the end of the season through the Rolex Player of the Year award and the Vare Trophy for the lowest scoring average. Her current scoring average of 68.26 is more than a full stroke better than her closest competitor, Hyo Joo Kim, who is a significant longshot at +100000 (FanDuel) in this week's event.

The LPGA Hall of Fame currently has 35 members, with Lydia Ko being the most recent inductee in 2024 following her Olympic gold medal win. Ko is listed at +150000 (Bovada) for the KPMG Women's PGA Championship. Korda's potential induction would place her among an elite group, a list that notably excludes several prominent LPGA figures such as Laura Davies, Meg Mallon, and Cristie Kerr, underscoring the difficulty of the qualification criteria.