Korda back as World No. 1, dominates Chevron Championship

Nelly Korda of the United States speaks to the media alongside the Dinah Shore Trophy after winning The Chevron Championship 2026 at the Memorial Park Golf Course on April 26, 2026 in Houston, Texas.

Alex Slitz / Getty Images / AFP

MANILA, Philippines — Nelly Korda marked her return to World No. 1 in emphatic fashion, dominating the season’s first major championship with a wire-to-wire victory at the Chevron Championship in Houston on Sunday (Monday Manila time).

Korda closed with a second consecutive 70 to secure a commanding five-stroke win over Patty Tavatanakit at the Memorial Park Golf Course. She finished at 18-under 270, pocketing $1.35 million and claiming her third major title.

Setting the tone early, Korda fired back-to-back 65s in the opening rounds and was never seriously challenged. Though she slowed with a third-round 70, she still carried a five-shot lead into the final round and effectively sealed the victory with two birdies in her first three holes.

She cruised through the back nine, mixing two birdies and two bogeys for a steady two-under finish.

Tavatanakit also carded a 70 to hold on to second place at 275, while Ruoning Yin matched that total after a closing 69.

Meanwhile, Yuka Saso struggled in the final round, stumbling to a disappointing 79 that dropped her from a tie for 20th to a share of 59th at 292.

Despite entering Sunday with hopes of a strong finish following rounds of 74, 67 and 72, the ICTSI-backed Saso faltered early. She bogeyed No. 2, dropped two shots on No. 5, and failed to save par on the seventh. A birdie on the par-5 eighth briefly halted the slide, but she could not sustain momentum, playing the final eight holes in four-over par.

It was a frustrating conclusion for the two-time US Women's Open champion, who had shown promise by bouncing back from an opening-round 74 with a 67 to snap a streak of three missed cuts.

Saso now looks to regroup at this week’s Mexico Open at El Camaleón Golf Course, where Korda headlines the $2.5-million event. Fellow Filipina Bianca Pagdanganan, who campaign is also supported by the world’s leading port operator, is also in the field, aiming for a strong showing.

In Louisiana, Rico Hoey and David Lipsky bounced back from a costly triple-bogey with a strong finish, carding two birdies over their final three holes to salvage a 70 and secure a tie for 26th at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Sunday.

The tournament, the only team event on the PGA Tour calendar, was won in dramatic fashion by brothers Matt Fitzpatrick and Alex Fitzpatrick, who birdied the final hole in the alternate-shot format to shoot a 71 and finish at 31-under 257.

Their late heroics edged out the teams of Kristoffer Reitan and Kris Ventura, as well as Alex Smalley and Hayden Springer, by a single stroke.

Reitan and Ventura made a final push with an eagle on the par-5 No. 18 but still came up short at 258, an output matched by Smalley and Springer after a closing birdie.

Looking to build on their second-round 63 in the best-ball format, Hoey and Lipsky started strong on the back nine at TPC Louisiana, picking up three birdies through their first 11 holes. However, a triple bogey on the par-4 fourth hole threatened to derail their round. They responded well, bouncing back with birdies on Nos. 6 and 7 to post a 70, finishing the tournament with a four-day total of 267 and a share of 26th place.