It was one year ago this week that Nelly Korda reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the rankings
It was one year ago this week that Nelly Korda reclaimed the No. 1 spot in the rankings
CHANDLER, Ariz. — One year ago this week, Nelly Korda reclaimed her perch atop the Rolex Rankings. She doesn't appear to be in a hurry to give it up anytime soon.
Korda, 26, is the top-ranked player in women's golf for a fifth time in her career. She joined the tour in 2017.
She first reached the pinnacle of the rankings after winning the 2021 KPMG Women's PGA Championship, her first major, and she held the top spot for nine weeks.
Then, for the final two weeks of the 2022 season, she was No. 1 again.
After the 2023 Chevron Championship, Korda returned to No. 1 for three weeks. She was No. 1 for a fourth time, and a brief time, just one week, after the 2023 Amundi Evian Championship, where she tied for ninth.
In 2024, Korda had her most dominant season, and at one point, won five tournaments in a row. After the second straight of those five, she was back in the No. 1 spot and she's been there ever since.
Nelly Korda's win at 2024 Ford led to No. 1
Her third straight win during that stretch was the 2024 Ford Championship, a title defense she's mounting this week in Arizona. Her fifth straight win a year ago was also her second career major, the Chevron.
She has a firm grip on the top spot with a sizeable lead over Jeeno Thitikul. Lydia Ko is third.
The Rolex Rankings debuted in February 2006, and 18 different women have held the top spot.
Korda's streak is now at 52 weeks. Jin Young Ko holds the record for the longest time at No. 1 with 163 weeks over the course of five different stretches. Lorena Ochoa was No. 1 for 158 weeks and Lydia Ko for 125. Ochoa has the longest consecutive stretch at No. 1 with those 158 weeks, which ended only by her retirement in 2010.
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