Nelly Korda won this weekend’s LPGA season-opening Tournament of Champions without playing a single golf shot on Sunday.
The tour deemed that wind and cold in Orlando made Lake Nona unsuitable to play the final round.
Korda shot a ridiculous 8-under 64 on Saturday to pull in front after 54 holes. ESPN reports that Korda’s round was nine strokes better than average in tough weather conditions on Saturday.
The social media criticism was strong after the LPGA made the choice to not even push the tournament to Sunday and instead just call it after 54 holes.
Making the matter weirder is that there was also a celebrity tournament attached with the event, and they played a nine hole final round of their own on Sunday at the same course.
Among the participants: Annika Sorenstam, the legend, who couldn’t figure out why the LPGA didn’t play its own final round.
Just talked to Annika after she finished playing the back nine. (Celebrities reduced to nine holes for Round 4.) She said it’s “very playable” and doesn’t understand why the LPGA pros aren’t playing. pic.twitter.com/Lne5QlDoTr
— Beth Ann Nichols (@GolfweekNichols) February 1, 2026
Korda got her 16th career victory on the LPGA Tour, with a 13-under for the 54 holes.
“Today was nerve-wracking,” Korda told the Associated Press after spending Sunday on the putting green and driving range. “Not knowing what the outcome was going to be and still trying to be in the mindset of going out for 18 holes and knowing it was going to be tough. I was always trying to be in that mindset.”
Temperatures were reportedly sub-freezing on Sunday at the course, and so the LPGA closed up shop.
Korda will take the win, but it’s an odd way to start the season, for sure.
