Nelly Korda wins LPGA Chevron Championship to clinch third major and return to world No. 1

[p]The 27-year-old American took a five-shot lead into the final round and carded a two-under par 70 to win the first women's major of the year with China's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/yin-ruoning/Ye6tQIW5/"]Yin Ruoning[/a] and Thailand's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/tavatanakit-paphangkorn/t0rBFiEg/"]Patty Tavatanakit[/a] sharing second.[/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/korda-nelly/4OpkdK7D/"]Korda[/a] completed an impressive wire-to-wire victory at Memorial Park in Houston, becoming the third player in the last 50 years to win a major championship after leading by multiple strokes after each round.[/p][p]"[b]Honestly, having that big of a lead, it's not easy,[/b]" Korda said. "[b]It was definitely one of the hardest things I've had to do mentally.[/b][/p][p]"[b]I'm, like, having to play defensive at some point but also not wanting to get too defensive because I want to play my own game. That's where I struggled this weekend.[/b]"[/p][embed guid="018b2de7-eb39-4814-861f-cd11d846085c" url="https://x.com/LPGA/status/2048515987876577552?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p]Korda, whose 2024 Chevron triumph was her second major after a victory in the 2021 Women's PGA, had matched the tournament's 54-hole scoring record with a 16-under total and opened the final round with an up and down birdie at the par-five first.[/p][p]She nabbed another birdie at the par-five third, where her long eagle attempt just missed.[/p][p]Playing partners Patty and Yin tried to keep some pressure on, both posting three birdies on the front nine, but the American was still up by five at the turn.[/p][p]A three-putt bogey at the 12th saw Korda's lead cut to four, but she answered with birdies at the 13th and 14th - bombing a drive at 13 and sticking her approach within three feet of the pin.[/p][p]"[b]Obviously having the two back-to-back birdies helped,[/b]" she said. "[b]The par-fives are easier for me to play like myself.[/b]"[/p][p]A bogey at 17 didn't even dent her lead as Yin made bogey as well.[/p][p]Both of Korda's bogeys were three-putts, and she missed a couple of birdie chances as well.[/p][p]"[b]What I kept telling myself was I really want to hoist this trophy because I want to show the kids at home that it's OK to miss short putts and still win a major championship[/b]," she said.[/p][p]"[b]You're going to make mistakes, but you have to mentally still be in it 100 percent.[/b]"[/p][h2]'All worth it'[/h2][p]There may have been some miscues on the green, but Korda hit 12 of 13 fairways in regulation and 16 of 18 greens.[/p][p]Yin finished with four birdies in her three-under 69 and Patty had three birdies and a bogey in her 70 - coming home with 10 straight pars.[/p][p]Korda's win continued a strong 2026 campaign that has seen her win the season-opening Tournament of Champions and finish second in her three other starts.[/p][p]After those runner-up finishes, Korda said, victory felt like something of a vindication.[/p][p]"[b]For me to put myself in a position going into every tournament, being in the final group on a Sunday and not getting it done and finally getting it done in a major championship, it's all worth it to me,[/b]" she said.[/p][p]She will rise from number two in the world to number one, supplanting Thailand's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/thitikul-atthaya/l4QnCX47/"]Jeeno Thitikul[/a] who missed the cut this week.[/p]