Nelly Korda defeated the major championship conditions and a crowded leaderboard at Riviera Country Club to capture her fourth career major championship and the third leg of the career Grand Slam.
Behind a 285-yard drive with her Qi4D 9.0° driver and TP5x, a clutch birdie on the 17th hole moved Nelly to 8-under for the tournament to take the solo lead heading to the 18th tee. She made par on 18 to shoot 2-under in the final round (73-67-67-69) to win by one and capture the first two majors of the season.
THE SWITCH TO TP5x
Nelly’s switch to TP5x has now resulted in four wins in 2026 including the first two majors of the year and rightfully so the stats have told the story. Heading into this week Nelly was 1st in SG: Driving, 2nd in SG: Approach and 3rd in SG: Around the Green.
“TP5xis a game changer for her. When I walked with her after first putting it in play, the ball was noticeably better with her irons. She was playing more aggressively and felt like she could attack pins more freely. She can be way moreaggressive with her scoring clubs, which is something she felt like she couldn’tdo toward the end of last season.”
Ryan Ressa, Senior Tour Manager
The impetus of the switch to this golf ball came from Nelly feeling that her iron shots were launching low and spinning less than desired, especially into firm major championship greens. Around the greens, TP5x has also changed Nelly’s chipping approach. With more check and predictability, she’s able to be more assertive through impact, adding spin rather than guiding shots.
NELLY’S Qi4D DRIVER FITTING
For Nelly, the move into the Qi4D driver was the result of months of testing, trust in performance, and—most importantly—a driver shape that delivered more speed and more control. That win has paid off in dividends in 2026 with her historic start to the season.
“Immediately when I put this thing in the bag I loved it. It’s doing exactly what I want… having it under pressure on the golf course is what’s most important.”
Nelly Korda on her Qi4D Driver
For elite players like Nelly, how a driver looks at address isn’t cosmetic—it’s a foundational aspect to getting a new driver into the bag.
“The most important thing is the comfort I have over the ball when I look down at the driver,” she said. “After that, it’s just if it performs the way I want to.”
In the past, a more compact head shape didn’t allow Nelly to turn it over and produce the draw she must see off the tee. But, with the ball speed gains Team TaylorMade athletes had seen during testing combined with the advanced adjustability of Qi4D, our tour team felt it was time to re-introduce this driver profile to Nelly.
Within just 20 shots, she made a rather unexpected comment that changed the direction of the entire fitting. She stopped and said, “I actually like this shape better”.
From there, it was game on.