Nelly Korda crushes another LPGA
field and wins by 4 shots in Mexico
[May 04, 2026]
PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico (AP) Nelly Korda delivered an
early knockout punch Sunday and stretched her lead to as many as
seven shots before cruising to the finish line with a 3-under 69 and
a four-shot victory in the Riviera Maya Open at Mayakoba for her
third win of the young season.
One week after Korda crushed the field at The Chevron Championship
for her third career major, she left everyone feeling hopeless at El
Camaleon with precision that carried the No. 1 player in women's
golf to another dominant victory.
Korda went 60 consecutive holes without a bogey, a streak that ended
when it no longer mattered.
She had a six-shot lead playing the 18th when she sent her drive to
the right and deep into the tropical bushes, never finding the golf
ball. She hit a provisional into a bunker, the next one into the
gallery and finished by making a 20-foot putt for bogey, only her
second of the tournament.
Korda stretched out her arm and casually threw her right fist with
whatever energy she had left.
She finished at 17-under 271, four shots ahead Arpichaya Yubol of
Thailand, who celebrated her 24th birthday with a 70 to finish alone
in second. Yu Liu of China (69) was another shot back.
None had much of a chance against Korda, who became the first player
since Annika Sorenstam in 2001 to start a season with nothing worse
than a runner-up finish through six events.
Korda started with a three-shot lead, and then it was over. She
holed a 12-foot eagle putt from the collar of the par-5 fifth hole,
followed with a 10-foot birdie putt from the fringe on No. 6 and
then hit a lob wedge to 4 feet for birdie on the par-5 seventh.
She didn't need to do anything more the rest of the way, following
with 10 straight pars until taking her hands off the wheel on the
final hole.
[to top of second column] |
Asked if she was playing the best golf of her
career, Korda demurred.
Im just enjoying myself and I love the competition. I love
traveling to places like Mexico, all over the world. Im just having
fun, she said.
Starting times were moved up to avoid thunderstorms moving along the
coast of Mexico that looks out across the Caribbean Sea. It was
still steamy, and Korda doused her head with a bottle of water as
she walked off the 16th tee. Nothing could cool her off.
Korda could only laugh at her blunder on the final hole that kept
her from matching or surpassing her largest margin of victory, set
last week with her five-shot win in Houston at a major.
On the last hole here I was humbled by golf, she said. I had a
pretty smooth day and on the last hole just kind of like humbles you
a little bit. You put in the work. Everyone out here puts in the
work. Sometimes it works out.
She now has 18 wins on the LPGA, making the 27-year-old the youngest
American with 18 titles since Nancy Lopez at age 23 won her 18th in
1980.
Arkansas senior Maria Jose Marin, who delighted the crowd with her
Augusta National Women's Amateur title last month, had a 69-69
weekend to finish fifth. The top 10 would make her eligible for next
week at the Mizuho Americas Open, but she has finals.
Korda also is skipping next week after two straight wins. She had
talked about lacking energy this week, but also making sure she was
working instead of on vacation at a Mexican resort.
I'll enjoy a few days off, Korda said.
All contents © copyright 2026 Associated Press. All rights reserved
 |
