The world’s best golfer had some advice for her new generation of talent, and it was far from the kind of guidance they were likely expecting. No talk of grip, course management, or handling pressure on the big stage. She didn’t even mention her three major championship wins or her 18 LPGA wins. Korda took a completely different route.

“I would say the biggest piece of advice that I’ve received is not to get discouraged when the results aren’t there, but you’re feeling good about your game,” Korda said in an AJGA video before The Nelly Invitational in Bradenton, FL.

“Just stay in your course. It’s really important not to get too wrapped up in what everyone else is doing and to just stay very authentic to yourself. Like trusting yourself that you’re doing the right things and just be who you are,” the World No. 1 added.

Korda knows the feeling better than most. In 2025, she went the entire season without a win, despite posting a better scoring average than her record-breaking 2024 campaign. She called the year “a grind” and admitted it made her grow mentally. So when she tells young players to block out the noise, it is not something she’s drawing out of thin air.

Korda shared her wisdom with the youngsters at The Concession Golf Club, a course where she once competed as a junior herself. She came up through the ranks of the AJGA as a teenager, which makes her vision of developing young talent far more personal. Thanks to her Invitational, the winner earns a direct spot in the following year’s Chevron Championship.

“I’ve always wanted to have an AJGA since I started playing AJGAs, and creating something so special and unique with Chevron coming on board and giving an exemption to the winner to the next year’s major is absolutely incredible,” she said to AJGA.

Shauna Liu won the 2025 Nelly Korda Invitational and earned her spot at the Chevron Championship, where she became one of just eight amateurs in the field.

The Rise of Nelly Korda’s Invitational 

Korda’s initiative, which began in 2024, has grown a lot over the years. For the 2026 edition, Chevron’s sponsorship has raised the bar for AJGA events, with increased travel stipends for both U.S. and international players, along with a $75,000 hole-in-one scholarship on the 11th hole funded by John and Kathi Scotti.

The tournament has also attracted an elite field, featuring dozens of past AJGA champions, Rolex Junior All-Americans, and some of the highest-ranked young golfers from around the world.

“For the girls to get a chance to play, to compete in a major championship… Myself, I played in this championship twice as an amateur, and I learned so much from it. So, for them to come in and once again support and elevate the game of women’s golf speaks volumes about their character and what they’re committed to.

For me to be just a small part of that feels really, really great. But we had this amazing vision for my junior event, and I’m just so happy that they came on board and have continued to elevate it,” she said to Zack Tawatari of KHOU 11.

The 2026 winner will earn a spot in next year’s Chevron Championship, the first major of the LPGA season. That alone raises the stakes for every player before the tournament even begins. Thankfully for them, Korda is there to help teach the next generation how to balance expectations with reality.