Although the previous season was winless for the American star, Nelly Korda still had an impeccable run in 2025. She ended as the runner-up for both the Tournament of Champions and the U.S. Women’s Open. Stepping into 2026, she has teed off for the first LPGA event of this season and is tied for 4th place after the 2nd day of the Hilton Grand Vacations TOC. Amid this, a recent update has left the 27-year-old’s heart full. Korda’s fellow LPGA Tour mate, Austin Ernst, made her return to competition after a 30-month-long hiatus.

In the press meet of the HGV Tournament of Champions, Nelly Korda extended a warm welcome to Ernst and said, “It was great [to see her back]. I went to dinner with her on Monday. It’s so funny because she hasn’t been on Tour in three years, and she’s like, I’m back, and I’m back at the Tournament of Champions. But it’s really nice just to kind of see the old faces, the people that you used to hang out with, and to catch up on life.”

Korda further shared, “She is in a different part of her life with a baby, sure, Charlie, but it’s so exciting to hear the milestones for her. Yeah, it’s been fun to hang out with her this week again. Hopefully more times this year, but you never know.”

Austin Ernst returned to professional golf in January 2026 after a nearly three-year hiatus caused by a bone spur in her neck. The discomfort first manifested as nerve pain in her right shoulder during the 2022 Lotte Championship. After attempting to play through it for 18 months, Ernst faced a major setback and announced a semi-retirement in June 2023. However, she made sure to make the right use of her time away from the competitive realm. During her time away, she served as an assistant coach at Texas A&M. Alongside that she also welcomed her little son Charlie during her hiatus. Making a comeback at the first LPGA event of 2026, Ernst stands at T34 on day 2 of the HGV Tournament of Champions.

Nelly Korda and Austin Ernst share a close friendship that spans several years on the LPGA Tour. Korda further added how the Korda sisters have been really close to Ernst for years. One of their most notable shared leaderboards for these top American golfers was the 2021 Drive On Championship, where Ernst secured a five-stroke victory over a field that included the Korda sisters. Both golfers were integral members of the 2021 U.S. Solheim Cup team.

While Korda’s countrymate has made her return to the greens, Korda has recently been dominating the headlines for her absence in Tiger Woods’ much hyped women’s tech league. And finally, Korda has decided to clear the air by sharing her thoughts on the same.

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Nelly Korda reveals real reason on her absence from Tiger Woods’ WTGL

Tiger Woods is looking to transform the overall golfing experience. And for that, he has invested millions to get the WTGL up and running. Sadly, despite all the pomp and show, Korda is not impressed at all. In a recent announcement from TMRW Sports, the likes of Jeeno Thitikul, Charley Hull, and Rose Zhang have already committed to the league. But in a curious turn of events, Korda was missing from the lineup. 

This was quite a surprise for the fans since Korda has always spoken in favor of the LPGA Stars getting more exposure. She has also pointed out how more mixed gender events will draw fans’ attention to the female stars. Finally, speaking her heart out, Korda unveiled the reasons why she has not yet signed up for WTGL. According to her, Woods missed a major trick with the league. 

“I have mixed feelings on it if I’m being honest. I’m surprised no other girls have, or no one’s really spoken out about it. I think it’s a huge and unbelievable miss that we’re not playing alongside the men. There’s no greater way to grow the game, and it would have been revolutionary. It would have been the first time that men and women were on the same playing field, playing for the same amount of money. But I also think it’s great that we are getting this opportunity, so those are my mixed feelings,” said Korda in an interview with Golfweek. 

Currently, it cannot be denied that the financial scenario of the men’s and women’s events differs significantly. For example, the TGL had a $21 million purse with each of the four players of the winning team pocketing almost $2.25 million. On the contrary, the entire prize purse for the LPGA in 2026’s 33 events stands at $132 million. This translates to an average tournament purse of only $4 million. Thus, in essence, Korda’s point of view does seem legit. Instead, WTGL will now have its own financial structure, the details of which are undisclosed till now.