As opposed to 2025, Nelly Korda has won three times in 2026 and has not finished outside the top two all season. Ask her what changed, and she will not talk about her swing. Appearing on The Pat McAfee Show on Monday, she was asked whether she’s playing the best golf of her life. She went on to explain where it is actually coming from.

“I’m having so much fun on the golf course,” she said, “but I think it came because my last year was really hard for me. I came off a year that I won seven times, and I think I’m just maturing and realizing that I need to really enjoy these moments. It’s not going to last forever.”

If there’s anyone who knows success doesn’t last forever, it’s Nelly Korda. Though 2026 has been a fruitful season for her, it comes after a somewhat difficult 2025. The context lies in what happened in 2024. She won seven times, with five of those wins coming back-to-back, but in 2025, she went winless in 20 events. Her stats were nearly identical to 2024. In fact, she had a better scoring average, better driving numbers, and a higher birdie percentage. It was the people closest to her, whom she calls her small, amazing circle, who helped her remain positive. And perhaps learning from all of it, she now sees things differently.

“So many legends have told me to smell the roses,” she said, “and this week I actually have the time to smell the roses.”

2025 also taught her many important things, and it is showing in how she is performing this season.

“One to not listen to the outside noise. Two, I think, is where a lot of people get into trouble, is that they have an incredible year, and they try to do something to get even better. They almost like to reinvent the wheel. And I think that’s where people get into trouble, where they lose their game.”

“The one thing that I took out of last year is like, control what you can control; don’t try to push too much. And I think I was just trying to control what I couldn’t control, and it was driving me nuts. And that was kind of the biggest mindset change going into this year, like, I’m just going to control what I can control.”

This interview came by one day after Korda won the Riviera Maya Open at Maya Coba in Mexico by four shots. It is her second win in a row, following her record-breaking Chevron Championship victory the previous Sunday. Arriving fresh off a major, her fiancée was also there with her, and she had the time of her life, but a stark reminder encouraged her to keep her eye on the prize.

“I was literally living my best life,” she said, “but I had to remind myself on Tuesday, I’m here for work.”

Nelly is engaged to her fiancé, Casey Gunderson. The two first met at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, where they went to school together. Gunderson later played college football at Bryant University. They reconnected at the end of 2024.

As she enjoys her success, Nelly Korda is also all geared up for her packed LPGA schedule ahead.

What comes next for Nelly Korda?

Nelly Korda is not stopping to admire the view for long. After a week off, she returns on May 14 at the Kroger Queen City Championship in Cincinnati. Then the schedule gets more serious, as majors enter the picture.

The U.S. Women’s Open tees up in early June at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles, followed by the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine National later that month. It sets up three majors in six weeks, a stretch that will further define her 2026 season.

Beyond the majors, there is also the Solheim Cup. The biennial event will be held in the Netherlands in September, and with the form she is in, Korda will be central to the U.S. team. There is also another bigger milestone in play.

She sits at 23 of the 27 points required for the LPGA Hall of Fame. The system awards one point per LPGA Tour win, Player of the Year title, and two points per major. At 27, she is close. One more major this season would take her to 25. A Player of the Year award would move her to 26.

It all makes 2026 a defining year for her!