Nelly Korda Expands Her Impact with the Nelly Invitational, Offering Junior Golfers a Path to the LPGA Major Stage
Nelly Korda’s annual AJGA tournament is back, but this year, it’s about more than just competition — it’s a platform designed to inspire and elevate the next generation of female golfers. The two-time major champion launched the Nelly Invitational last year, and the inaugural event saw Canada’s Aphrodite Deng take home the title in the 54-hole stroke play competition. This year, the stakes are even higher — the tournament champion will receive a coveted exemption into the 2026 Chevron Championship, one of the LPGA Tour’s majors.
This significant move comes at a time when many in the women’s collegiate golf scene have voiced frustrations over the limited pathways available to female players hoping to reach the professional level. USC women’s golf head coach Justin Silverstein has been particularly vocal, highlighting the stark contrast between the opportunities afforded to men’s and women’s college golfers. For coaches like Silverstein, Korda’s initiative offers much-needed momentum in addressing this imbalance.
The inaugural event in 2024 featured 66 of the best junior girls competing at The Concession Golf Club in Bradenton, Florida — a venue with deep ties to competitive golf. Korda herself is no stranger to success at the junior level, having won AJGA Invitational titles at both the 2015 Yani Tseng Invitational and the 2015 PING Invitational. However, she felt there was still more she could do to help rising female golfers, and her vision aligned perfectly with Chevron, the sponsor of the LPGA’s first major of the year. Together, they created a new pathway for junior talent to earn a spot at a prestigious LPGA event.
The winner of Nelly’s junior invitational will get an exemption into an LPGA major 👀https://t.co/GGkOcHnm1A
— Beth Ann Nichols (@GolfweekNichols) February 27, 2025
This year’s tournament will also feature a broader and stronger field thanks to the inclusion of top international players who are not AJGA members. To further support the players, Chevron is offering a $2,000 stipend to cover travel, accommodation, and entry fees — the highest support package for any AJGA tournament to date. International players will receive an additional $500 to ease their expenses.
For coaches, especially those like Silverstein, this new pathway represents significant progress. Silverstein has long argued that female collegiate golfers face far greater challenges transitioning to professional tours compared to their male counterparts. Male players regularly receive opportunities to compete in Korn Ferry Tour and PGA Tour events while still in college, providing invaluable experience and exposure. Such opportunities are far less common for female players.
Silverstein’s frustrations stem from what he sees as a systemic issue — the men’s game has well-established bridges between college golf and the pros, while the women’s game lags behind. He’s been a consistent advocate for greater integration between NCAA women’s golf and the LPGA Tour, pushing for better opportunities to help top amateurs transition seamlessly into professional careers.
Some progress has been made. The LPGA Tour recently launched the Elite Amateur Pathway, a system similar to PGA Tour University. This pathway ranks top female college golfers and guarantees LPGA Tour cards to the highest finishers, mirroring the successful program on the men’s side, which has already produced stars like Ludvig Aberg, Davis Thompson, and Austin Eckroat.
While the LPGA’s steps toward parity are still in their early stages, they represent movement in the right direction. And with players like Nelly Korda actively championing young talent, the future looks brighter for female golfers across the country. The 2025 Nelly Invitational will tee off on May 1, providing not just a showcase for elite junior talent, but also a crucial stepping stone toward professional opportunities for the next wave of LPGA stars.