The Chevron Championship, second round
-14 N Korda (US); -8 P Tavatanakit (Tha); -7 F O’Keefe (US), R O’Toole (US), I Yoon (Kor); -6 Y Liu (Chn); -5 P Bouchard (Fra), M Stark (Swe), M Khang (US), T Suwannapura (Tha)
Selected others: -2 C Hull (Eng); E HJ Kim (Kor), L Thompson (US), M Yamashita (Jpn) M Saigo (Jpn), H Green (Aus); +1 L Woad (Eng), B Henderson (Can); +2 M Lee (Aus)
Nelly Korda continued her fine start to the Chevron Championship as she built a commanding lead in the first women’s major of the year.
The world number two shot a seven-under-par 65 for the second straight day to claim a six-shot advantage after the second round at Houston’s Memorial Park Golf Course.
The American claimed five of her eight birdies on the back nine on Friday to reach 14 under, with Thailand’s Patty Tavatanakit in second after firing a bogey-free 69.
The 27-year-old Korda is aiming for her third major title and her first since winning this event in 2024.
“I just feel really good,” she said. “I’m hitting it in the spots that I want to, missing it into the spots that I want to.”
American amateur Farah O’Keefe also posted a bogey-free 69 to move to seven under, putting her in a tie for third with compatriot Ryann O’Toole and South Korea’s Ina Yoon.
Korda has started the year in good form having won the season-opening Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions before claiming three straight runner-up finishes.
She won this event in 2024 at The Club at Carlton Woods, which is also in Houston, while 26-year-old Tavatanakit won in 2021 in California, when the event was named the ANA Inspiration.
The world number 66 said: “Chasing, leading, whatever – I feel like I’m just glad I have this opportunity to be in the mix.”
Her compatriot Jeeno Thitikul will not feature this weekend as the world number one bogeyed two of her last five holes to miss the cut by one stroke.
England’s Mimi Rhodes also missed out after following up Thursday’s round of three-under with a six-over 78, carding three bogeys and a double-bogey in her last five holes.
