FILE PHOTO: Sep 14, 2024; Gainesville, Virginia, USA; Nelly Korda of Team USA plays a shot from a bunker on the 12th hole during Foursomes matches against Team Europe during the second round of the Solheim Cup 2024 at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-Imagn Images/File Photo
(Reuters) - American world number one Nelly Korda has clinched the LPGA's points-based player of the year award with three events left in the 2024 season, the top women's professional golf circuit said on Monday.
The 26-year-old Korda has claimed six victories in 2024 and had three additional top-10 finishes. At one point during the year Korda won five consecutive tournaments, a run she capped by securing her second major title.
"This season has had its highs and challenges, and I'm just really grateful for the people around me who have helped me get here," Korda said in an LPGA news release. "It's been a team effort, and I’m proud to share this moment with them."
Korda, who missed the fall Asian swing due to a minor neck injury, also represented the United States in the women's golf competition at the Paris Olympics and was part of the winning team at the Solheim Cup.
Prior to last week's Japan Classic, only Ayaka Furue had the potential to catch Korda but would have had to win the season's final four events to tie for the award. Japan's Furue finished in a share of 10th last week.
(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Ed Osmond)
