Nelly Korda opened the 2026 Chevron Championship with a bogey-free seven-under 65 and took a two-shot lead into Friday’s second round at Memorial Park Golf Course in Houston.
The World No. 2, who won the Chevron in 2024, is now chasing her third major victory. Patty Tavatanakit and Somi Lee are tied for second at five under after the first round, while defending champion Mao Saigo starts Round 2 eight shots behind Korda.
The numbers at the top of the lpga leaderboard matter because this is a major, and Korda is already in familiar territory. She arrived in Houston as one of the game’s most accomplished players, but the pressure is different when a tournament begins to narrow around a single name before the weekend has even arrived.
Jeeno Thitikul, who entered the tournament as World No. 1, had the kind of first round that can turn a favorite into a chaser. She shot a two-over 74, made five bogeys and starts Friday tied for 80th. Thitikul has never won a major, and the opening round left her a long way from the players at the top.
Friday’s second round begins at Memorial Park in Houston, with Golf Channel scheduled to start coverage at 11 a.m. ET and carry it from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. ET before returning from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. ET. Peacock will simulcast Golf Channel’s Friday coverage live beginning at 11 a.m. ET.
The tee sheet adds another layer to the day. Brooke M. Henderson, Thitikul and Ruoning Yin are grouped for the 9:27 a.m. tee time from the 1st tee, while Saigo, Korda and Lilia Vu go off together at 9:39 a.m. Korda has the lead, but the players around her are close enough to make one bad stretch matter quickly, and Friday will show whether the first round was a statement or only an opening.