Nelly Korda, Already A Six-Time Winner, Could Nearly Double Her Season Earnings With U.S. Women's Open Victory

Nelly Korda certainly isn't hurting financially at the moment given that she's already won six times in 2024, but the world's No. 1 ranked player could see her season earnings nearly double with a win at this week's U.S. Women's Open.

Korda, the significant favorite to win what would be her second major championship of the season, has earned just over $2.9 million during her historic run this year. A win at Lancaster Country Club would see that figure take a seismic leap, however.

The USGA recently announced that the U.S. Women's Open overall prize money would go from $11 million in 2023 to $12 million in 2024. While the $1 million increase is certainly noteworthy, it's the payout structure that has changed things up the most.

Instead of the winner taking home 18% of the total purse, this year's winner will earn 20%.

This means that Korda, or any other player who finds the winner's circle this week, will pick up a check worth $2.4 million.

Nelly Korda is the odds-on favorite to win the 2024 U.S. Women's Open. (Photo by Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

USGA chief Mike Whan explained the payout change was a tip of the cap to the PGA Tour's structure at signature events.

"We saw that in some elevated events on the PGA Tour and kind of looked at that ourselves from a standpoint of how that looked, and we liked it," USGA chief Mike Whan said.

"When you start talking about the kind of money we’re talking about in $12 million and more, it has very little effect kind of all the way down the line, but even makes the win even more significant."

To put the $2.4 million winning payout into perspective, Korda earned $1.2 million for her win at the Chevron Championship, the season's first major, back in April.

To say Korda has been on a heater in 2024 would be an understatement. In eight starts this season she's earned six wins, including one run of five straight victories, to go along with a T-16 finish to begin the year and a T-7 at the Cognizant Founders Cup in early May.

To make eight starts and lose to just a total of 21 players across that span with six wins to go along with that means that you're playing at a truly historic clip.