Nelly Korda Trails Leaders at the ANNIKA Chasing Hall of Fame Spot

World No. 1 Nelly Korda sits two strokes back of the leaders after opening The Annika with a bogey-free seven-under 63 in Belleair, Fla., as Yahoo Sports reported.

Korda is just one point away from qualifying for the LPGA Tour Hall of Fame, needing 27 points to join the prestigious group.

The tournament marks Korda’s first competitive start in eight weeks following a mental break from the tour. She is chasing first-round co-leaders Minami Katsu and Hye-Jin Choi, who both carded career-low rounds of nine-under 61 on Thursday to set the pace at Pelican Golf Club.

“Definitely when you’re playing out and practicing there is not as much, I would say pressure, but it was nice to kind of feel those juices flowing again,” Korda told Yahoo Sports.

Korda holds 26 points toward the Hall of Fame, having earned her latest point by securing the tour’s Rolex Player of the Year award. Lydia Ko is the most recent player to enter the hall, achieving the feat in 2024 by winning the gold medal at the Paris Olympics, according to Yahoo Sports.

Choi and Katsu Share the First-Round Lead

Hye-Jin Choi carded a career-best 61 to share the first-round lead, continuing a strong stretch of play that included runner-up finishes during the recent Asian swing. Katsu matched her with a bogey-free 61 during the afternoon wave, marking her lowest round of the season.

“I think if you miss the green on this course it’s going to be really difficult and it’s hard to make a good par save,” Choi told the LPGA. “But I really kept on the greens, so I made a bogey-free round.”

Wild Shots and Race to CME Globe

The opening round featured two aces on the par-three third hole. Allisen Corpuz holed a 6-iron from 163 yards, while Lindy Duncan added a second hole-in-one with her own 6-iron to ignite a birdie-birdie-ace start.

Duncan finished with a round of 62 to sit one stroke off the lead, boosting her chances of cracking the top 60 in the Race to the CME Globe point standings. Players inside the top 60 after this final regular-season event earn a spot in the field for the CME Group Tour Championship and a share of the $11 million purse.

“The start was incredible. I’ve never been 4-under through three, that’s for sure,” Duncan told the LPGA. “To make that hole-in-one, it was just wild.”

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How Many Points Nelly Korda Needs and Tournament Details

• How many points does Nelly Korda need for the LPGA Hall of Fame?
  Korda needs 27 total points to qualify and currently sits at 26 points after winning the Rolex Player of the Year award, as Yahoo Sports reported.
• What course hosts The Annika tournament?
  The tournament takes place at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, Florida, where Korda has won three times in her career according to the LPGA.
• What is at stake for players outside the top 60?
  Players must finish inside the top 60 in the Race to the CME Globe point standings upon conclusion of the event to secure a spot in the CME Group Tour Championship field, as the LPGA detailed.