Nelly Korda tied the 54-hole scoring record at The Chevron Championship and will take a five-shot lead into the final round as she bids to return to No. 1 in the women's world ranking, the Associated Press reported.
Korda shot a 2-under 70 on Sunday, April 26, 2026 (PH time), to reach 16-under 200, matching the tournament mark set in 2022. Despite stretching her lead to as many as eight shots, she headed straight to the putting green after missing three short putts over the final 11 holes.
"On the back nine I learned that I needed to stay in it," Korda said. "I wanted to continue giving myself opportunities."
She looked dominant early, birdieing four of her first six holes, but her advantage narrowed as conditions grew tougher and her putting faltered. Korda needed 32 putts and missed from close range multiple times down the stretch.
Patty Tavatanakit shot 69 to pull within five shots after a steady round highlighted by strong scrambling. Ruoning Yin fired a 66 and was six back, tied with Pauline Roussin-Bouchard (67).
The heat and wind added to the challenge at Memorial Park, where Korda often used an umbrella for shade.
Still, the American remains in control heading into Monday. "I'm just going to focus on myself… and not really focus on the exterior noise," she said.
