For nearly two decades, Annika Sörenstam has owned one of the most important financial records in women’s golf.
When Sörenstam stepped away from full-time competition in 2008, she did so with $22,583,693 in official LPGA Tour career earnings. At the time, that number felt almost untouchable. She had won 72 LPGA Tour events, 10 major championships, and spent years as the defining player in the sport.
That reign may be nearing its end.
Lydia Ko is less than $800,000 away from passing Sörenstam. And after earning a $2.5 million payday over the weekend for winning the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open, Nelly Korda is barely more than $1 million away from topping the record.
Top 10 LPGA Career Money Leaders
After Korda’s U.S. Women’s Open victory, the LPGA’s all-time career money list looks like this:
Annika Sörenstam: $22,583,693 Lydia Ko: $21,816,686 Nelly Korda: $21,496,348 Karrie Webb: $20,293,617 Cristie Kerr: $20,179,848 Minjee Lee: $19,028,183 Jeeno Thitikul: $18,463,253 Inbee Park: $18,262,344 Sei Young Kim: $16,639,068 Amy Yang: $16,427,494
That means Ko needs $767,007 to pass Sörenstam for the all-time No. 1 spot. Korda needs $1,087,345. And the gap between Ko and Korda is just $320,338.
That math creates a fascinating race because the remaining 2026 schedule still includes several events with record-shifting money. The KPMG Women’s PGA Championship has a $12 million purse, the Evian Championship has a $9.1 million purse, the AIG Women’s Open has a $10 million purse, and the CME Group Tour Championship offers the biggest single prize of all: a $4 million winner’s check.
Ko does not need a dominant finish to break the record. One strong week could do it. Korda could leapfrog both Ko and Sörenstam with one more major victory. And if either player wins the CME, the race is over instantly.
Both could pass Sörenstam before the season ends, and the No. 1 spot could change hands more than once.
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Why Annika’s Record Is Finally Vulnerable
Sörenstam’s $22.6 million in official LPGA earnings came during an era when women’s golf purses were dramatically smaller than they are today. The U.S. Women’s Open is a perfect example.
When Sörenstam won her first U.S. Women’s Open in 1995, the total purse was $1 million, and her winner’s share was $175,000. When she won the tournament again in 2006, capturing the third and final U.S. Women’s Open title of her career, the purse had grown to $3.1 million, and her winner’s check was $560,000.
By comparison, the 2026 “U.S. Women’s Open” carried a record $12.5 million purse, with Korda earning $2.5 million for the win.
Ko Is Closer, Korda Is Coming Faster
Lydia Ko has the simpler path. At $21,816,686 in official LPGA earnings, she is less than $800,000 behind Annika Sörenstam, close enough that she could take the No. 1 spot with one strong finish in a big-money event. Her climb has been steady rather than explosive, built through years of consistency, major contention, Olympic success, and a long run as one of the most bankable players in women’s golf.
Nelly Korda’s path is more dramatic. Her $2.5 million win at the 2026 “U.S. Women’s Open” pushed her career total to $21,496,348, moved her past Cristie Kerr and Karrie Webb, and made her the highest-earning American player in LPGA history. She is still $320,338 behind Ko, but she has the momentum, the No. 1 ranking, and the hottest current season of anyone in the race.
Ko may get there first. Korda looks more likely to eventually put the record out of reach..
Korda’s Strange Three-Year Arc
In 2024, she went on one of the most dominant runs in modern LPGA history. She won the Drive On Championship in January, then followed with victories at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship, Ford Championship, T-Mobile Match Play, and Chevron Championship. Five consecutive LPGA Tour wins tied the tour record and re-established her as the defining player in women’s golf.
That streak changed her financial trajectory. In March 2024, her victory at the Fir Hills Seri Pak Championship brought her career earnings to roughly $9.5 million. By late April, after the Chevron Championship, that number had climbed to around $11.3 million.
Then, in 2025, she went winless.
For most players, a winless season would not be especially shocking. For Korda, coming off a five-tournament winning streak and a record-tying run, it felt like a dramatic pause. Her march up the money list slowed, and the aura of inevitability around her dominance faded a bit.
Then came 2026.
Korda opened the year with a win at the Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions. In April, she won the Chevron Championship again, leading nearly wire-to-wire, finishing five shots ahead of the field, and earning $1.35 million. That victory gave her a third career major title and returned her to No. 1 in the Women’s World Golf Rankings.
Two months later, at Riviera, she added the U.S. Women’s Open.
Her 2026 prize money has already climbed past $5.4 million. In one season, she has gone from chasing the top five to threatening the all-time record.
Ko may be the first to catch Sörenstam. Korda may be the one who eventually leaves everyone behind. Either way, after 18 years, the most important money record in women’s golf is no longer sitting safely in the distance. It is within one big check.