GOLF: Nelly Korda lands 3rd major win at Chevron, regains No. 1 ranking

Nelly Korda returned to the mountaintop Sunday in Houston by going wire to wire for her second Chevron Championship title in three years and regaining the World No. 1 ranking in the process.

Korda shot a tidy 2-under-par 70 in the final round at Memorial Park Golf Course and won the season's first major by a comfortable five-shot margin. She opened with consecutive 65s to take a six-shot advantage into the weekend before finishing the job at 18-under 270.

"That was a hard weekend. Honestly, having that big of a lead, it's not easy," Korda said. "It was definitely one of the hardest things I've had to do mentally.

"But I have an amazing support system, amazing family right behind me, amazing caddie that's on the bag, and just happy to get it done."

Ruoning Yin of China posted a 69 and Thailand's Patty Tavatanakit shot a 70 to settle for a tie for second at 13 under.

It is Korda's third career major title (2021 Women's PGA Championship, 2024 Chevron), tying her with contemporaries Lydia Ko of New Zealand, Minjee Lee of Australia, Anna Nordqvist of Sweden and In-gee Chun of South Korea as well as Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez.

Korda, 27, also wrestled back the No. 1 spot in the Rolex Rankings from Thailand's Jeeno Thitikul, who missed the cut in Houston. Korda had been No. 2 behind Thitikul since last August's Women's Open.

She also continued an indomitable start to the 2026 season: two victories and three second-place finishes in five starts. It is reminiscent of her 2024 season, when she won six tournaments by May 19 and seven in all.

"I can't compare. Every year is so different," Korda said. "I would say the only the thing that's similar is like when do you get into like a zone like this, you're kind of in your own little bubble, and that's what I was feeling in 2024. I was in my own little bubble.

"But as for the way that I am mentally -- was mentally in 2024 versus what I am mentally right now, they're almost two different people as well."

She celebrated by hopping into a man-made, 4-foot pond built at Memorial Park specifically for the occasion. It's a holdover of a tradition from when the major, previously known as the Dinah Shore and other names, was held at Rancho Mirage, where the tournament's winners took a triumphant jump into a pond near the 18th hole.

"So refreshing," Korda said. "Yeah, it was so hot this weekend in Houston. ... And, yeah, I mean, if I'm hoisting the trophy then I'm jumping in. I'm going to keep the tradition alive. Everyone is going to have their own opinion. My opinion is if you kill a tradition it's going to be gone forever."

Korda began the fourth round with a five-shot cushion and birdied the first and third holes, both par-5s, to reach 18 under for the tournament. From there it was all pars until a bogey at No. 12, which she chased with back-to-back birdies that removed any doubt.

Tavatanakit, a one-time major champion, was Korda's nearest pursuer most of the week and entered Sunday alone in second place.

She birdied three of her first six holes Sunday, then petered out, bogeying the par-5 eighth and parring out the rest of the way.

"To be honest, I feel like I didn't have my A-game at all, but I just managed myself really well," Tavatanakit said. "Just kept grinding out there. Made really nice up and downs all week, which is great. At the same time, I really wish I had my iron game a little bit better."

Yin, too, came up short of adding to the one major title on her resume.

"I live in Texas so I just assume I have good vibes here," Yin said. "So, yeah, I mean, I think this course suits me well, and I think if I can hit a little bit longer it would be great. But overall I think I'm just really proud of this week."

China's Yan Liu (67) and South Korea's Ina Yoon (68) tied for fourth at 12 under. Hyo Joo Kim of South Korea, who has won two tournaments this season, finished a distant sixth place at 7 under following a 69 as only a select few golfers went double-digits under par at the first-time major championship venue.

-Field Level Media/Reuters