Lydia Ko targets fourth major with career Grand Slam debate in focus

Lydia Ko will tee off at 1:06am NZT on Tuesday aiming for her fourth major at the 2026 Women’s PGA Championship: and a shot at a career Grand Slam she now questions.

What’s at stake for Lydia Ko?

A victory at Hazeltine National Golf Club would put Ko in rare company. The LPGA added a fifth major in 2013 yet still recognises a career Grand Slam for winning any four of the five biggest events. Ko has come close three times since her 2024 Women’s Open triumph, but she insists five majors are the true benchmark.

“If there is five, five is it,” Ko told reporters before the event. “Some players played when there were only four majors; now we’re playing in five. Is four a career Grand Slam? I think if there is five, five is it.”

Why the Grand Slam debate matters

Ko’s stance cuts against tradition. Most Hall of Fame debates centre on total major wins, but the career Grand Slam carries its own prestige. She has already missed the cut twice this season: at The Chevron Championship and the 2026 U.S. Women’s Open: yet still frames the chase as a mindset game.

“I still get nervous on the first hole and the last hole,” Ko said. “Every round can be a learning opportunity. I missed the cut by one at both events. Honestly, it sucks. I know there’s less ahead of me than how many I’ve played before.”

At 29, Ko dismisses retirement talk tied to major counts. “People are like you can’t retire until you do that,” she said. “I’m like, I don’t know if it’s going to happen. If they told me if I played the next five years and I would do it, then yeah, maybe I would.”

Who stands in her way?

Nelly Korda can also complete a career Grand Slam this year with a win at the Evian Championship or the 2026 Women’s Open. Korda already owns three straight majors, a feat Ko calls “almost unheard of.”

Ko’s last major win came at the 2024 Women’s Open. Since then, she’s finished tied 26th at the 2025 U.S. Open and tied 12th at the 2025 Women’s PGA Championship, nine shots behind winner Minjee Lee.

What’s next for Lydia Ko?

Ko’s focus stays on process, not milestones. She still savours the chance to compete at the highest level, even as the calendar tightens.

“I think I’m still super excited for this week,” Ko said. “This is one I’ve never won before. Juli Inkster asked if I’d be at the dinner. I said I haven’t won this event yet. Maybe someday I’ll join her and Danielle Kang at the table.”

Her first-round tee time lands at 1:06am NZT on Tuesday, paired with a Canadian competitor on a Minnesota course primed for drama.