According to Sky Sports on Tuesday, Nelly Korda of Bradenton, Florida has been named the 2024 Rolex Player of the Year for the first time. Korda is currently number one in the Rolex Rankings with 11.81 average points. She has 4.47 more average points than Lilia Vu of the United States, who is second on the list with 7.34 points.
Korda won six tournaments in 2024, including one major title. She won the 2024 Chevron Championship by posting a four round score of -13 and beating Sweden’s Maja Stark by two strokes.
Korda’s first win of the season came on January 28, when she needed a playoff to beat New Zealand’s Lydia Ko at the LPGA Drive On Championship in Korda’s hometown of Bradenton. Korda’s four round score was -11. Korda then needed a playoff again to win her second tournament of the season. At the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship in Los Angeles on March 24, Korda posted a four round score of -9 and beat American Ryann O’Toole with a birdie on the first extra hole.
Then a week later at the Ford Championship in Gilbert, Arizona on March 31, Korda beat Australian Hira Naveed of Perth by two strokes. Korda had a four round score of -20. Korda then won three tournaments in three weeks on April 7, as she beat Ireland’s Leona Maguire 4&3 at the T-Mobile Match Play Championship in Las Vegas. Korda’s sixth win of 2024 came at the Mizuho Americas Open in Jersey City, New Jersey on May 19. There, Korda beat another golfer from Perth. This time Hannah Green by a stroke after having a four round score of -14.
This is the second straight year an American has won the LPGA Rolex Women’s Golfer of the Year Award. Last year the winner was Vu of Fountain Valley, California. Vu won the 2023 Chevron Championship and the 2023 Women’s British Open.
