Nelly Korda Wins Third Major Title at 2026 Chevron Championship
Introduction
Nelly Korda won the 2026 Chevron Championship at Memorial Park in Houston, earning her third career major title and her second victory at this event. Korda finished the tournament 18-under par, which put her five strokes ahead of her closest competitors.
Main Body
Korda dominated the competition by holding the lead from the first round until the end. She is only the third player in 50 years to win an LPGA major while maintaining a multi-stroke lead after every round. With a final round score of 70, she tied the event's 54-hole scoring record. This victory is Korda's 17th LPGA win and her 21st professional win worldwide. Ruoning Yin and Patty Tavatanakit tied for second place, both finishing at 13-under par. Tavatanakit started the tournament with a strong streak of rounds without any bogeys, while Yin mentioned that she returned to using standard putters after trying different equipment. Furthermore, five amateur players made the cut, although they were not eligible to receive prize money. The tournament's prize money continues to grow, with the 2026 total pool reaching $9 million. This is a $1 million increase from 2025 and a total growth of about $6 million since Chevron became the title sponsor in 2022. Korda earned $1.35 million for her first-place finish. However, the Chevron Championship's purse is still lower than those of the U.S. Women's Open and the KPMG Women's PGA Championship.
Conclusion
As a result of this dominant performance in Houston, Nelly Korda has regained the world number one ranking. This third major championship further strengthens her position as one of the top golfers in the world.