2026 KPMG Women's PGA Championship Preview

Just two short weeks after the U.S. Women’s Open — where we saw Nelly Korda outlast Charley Hull at Riviera for her second consecutive major victory this year — a busy major season rolls on as the KPMG Women's PGA Championship returns to Hazeltine.

The last time the LPGA’s best were in Chaska, Minnesota, Hannah Green earned her breakout victory in 2019, and not much has changed in the seven years since. Hazeltine is still a very one-dimensional test, rooted in its late 20th-century laurels as a major venue. Here are a few things I’m keeping a watchful eye on this week:

Nelly Korda’s Grand Slam Hopes

A win for Nelly at Hazeltine would make her only the third player in history to capture the season's first three major championships, following Babe Zaharias (1950) and Inbee Park (2013).

Not only that, a victory would earn Nelly the two remaining points that would qualify her for the LPGA Hall of Fame, becoming the first American player to do so in 27 years since Juli Inkster in 1999. Nelly is heavily favored this week, and rightfully so. Hazeltine’s setup should play right into her strengths as a prolific driver and iron player, and it just so happens to be a course where we saw a 20-year-old Nelly finish third in 2019. I would love to see her keep the major streak alive, not only to continue her historic start to the year, but also to reignite the confusion and debate of what really makes a grand slam in the women’s game, thanks to the changing carousel of major championships throughout history (looking at you, Chevron).

Who's Really No. 2?

Part of what made the U.S. Women’s Open so exciting on Sunday was the chase that Hull gave Korda down the stretch. We are a far cry from 2025, when the LPGA saw 29 different winners throughout the season, as the top eight in the Rolex Rankings has already captured 12 wins so far this season. But I’m still waiting to see who will be the Karrie Webb challenger that Annika Sorenstam faced in the early 2000s. Jeeno Thitikul might be No. 2 in the world, but hasn’t proven to be a formidable foe in majors of late. Recent struggles suggest that trend will continue. Hull, Green, and Lottie Woad have shown flashes to potentially be the thorn in Nelly's side, and I, for one, hope someone steps up to give the world No. 1 a run for her money in this busy stretch of major championships over the next month and a half.

Solheim Cup Points Race

Who doesn't like a good game within the game? With 2026 being a Solheim Cup year, the pressure to qualify for the U.S. team in Amsterdam is ramping up, and now is the perfect time for players to get hot over this hectic major stretch and earn extra points to secure a spot. Auston Kim got off to a strong start to the year and rocketed up to fifth in the standings. Auston has cooled off some lately, while Jennifer Kupcho and Allisen Corpuz have racked up some high finishes, gaining ground on the leaders. Andrea Lee, Rose Zhang, Lindy Duncan, Lucy Li, and Solheim veteran Meghan Khang are all currently sitting on the outside looking in and hoping to find some form to fight for those remaining spots. I’d also keep tabs on whether an Allison Lee-type can catch fire this summer to vault up the points list, and this week is a great time to start.

Show Me the Money (And the Golf Shots)

KPMG announced a purse increase to $13 million for this year's Women’s PGA, making the championship the most lucrative in women's golf history. To put that in perspective, the purse just seven years ago was $3.8 million. The prize money isn't the only thing increasing, either, as fans will now be able to watch more than 100 hours of coverage across Golf Channel, NBC, and Peacock. You will actually get to see every shot Nelly Korda hits! Hats off to KPMG for putting its money where its mouth is and investing in this championship, which was nearly on its deathbed before the partnership with the PGA of America began in 2015. Let’s hope this tees off an arms race between major championships to see who can offer the most for the best in the world.