Hyo Joo Kim Goes Back-to-Back, Claims Second Title of 2026 Season
It was déjà vu when Hyo Joo Kim successfully defended her title Sunday at the Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass, carding a final-round 3-under 69 to secure a two-shot victory over Nelly Korda for the second week in a row.
The Republic of Korea native finished the week at 28-under par with rounds of 61-69-61-69. The performance marked the first time in LPGA Tour history that a player shot 61 or lower twice in one tournament. This was Kim’s ninth career victory and the first time she has won in back-to-back weeks.
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Korda Has 1-2-2 Start to 2026 LPGA Tour Season
Nelly Korda finished as runner-up in back-to-back outings on the LPGA Tour. After winning the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, Korda posted a solo-second finish at the Fortinet Founders Cup. She followed up that result with a second-place finish at last week’s Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass. This is the first time in her career that she has finished as runner-up in consecutive weeks.
Korda remained consistent throughout the week at Whirlwind Golf Club, carding four sub-par rounds to finish at 26-under 262 (63-65-67-67). Despite a 5-under 67 on Sunday, Korda finished just two strokes behind Hyo Joo Kim, who successfully defended her Ford Championship title
CME Group Cares Challenge – Score 1 for St. Jude
CME Group is donating $20,000 to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital as part of its CME Group Cares Challenge – Score 1 for St. Jude campaign. The season-long charitable program turns aces into donations. So far in the 2026 season, a total of $60,000 has been raised for the facility to support childhood cancer treatment and research.
Last week, two aces were carded during the Ford Championship presented by Wild Horse Pass:
In the opening round,
Epson Tour graduate Jenny Bae
knocked her tee shot in from 152 yards on the par-3 sixth hole with a 9-iron.
In the third round,
seven-time LPGA Tour winner Nasa Hataoka
recorded her fifth career hole-in-one. It occurred on the par-3 15th hole at Whirlwind Golf Club.
