Celia Fan

Hyo Joo Kim defeated Nelly Korda for the second consecutive week, delivering a record-breaking performance to win the Ford Championship.

Kim posted rounds of 61-69-61-69 for a total of 260, setting new tournament records for both 54-hole and 72-hole scoring.

With the victory, the 30-year-old claimed her ninth LPGA Tour title, moving into a tie for the sixth-most wins by a South Korean player in LPGA Tour history. The win also marked a career-best 72-hole score for Kim. At the press conference, Kim described her emotions after the milestone victory.

“I’m so happy, there are no words to describe how I’m feeling right now. I can’t believe I’ve won back-to-back.”

It marked the first time in her career that she has won twice in the same season, and the victories came in back-to-back weeks following her win at the Fortinet Founders Cup.

“I feel like I’m playing really well right now. My putting was especially good this week, and I played more aggressively, which gave me a lot of birdie chances.”

Nelly Korda finished runner-up two straight weeks, and this is the second time in LPGA Tour history that the same two players finished 1-2 in back-to-back weeks. But her performance this week was also outstanding, as she said: “Playing with someone like Hyo Joo, it didn’t feel like I played that well.”

She recorded four eagles, the most she has ever achieved in a single tournament, and her total of 262 tied her career-best 72-hole score. Korda remained optimistic about her current form:

“I’m very grateful. If you had told me this time last year what finishes I would have right now, I would be super happy. I’ve put in a lot of work, I’m excited about the way my game is going, and I’m looking forward to continuing to improve.”

The next LPGA event is the Aramco Championship, one of the biggest tournaments of the season. It’s a co-sanctioned event with the Ladies European Tour, and the field is headlined with stars such as Nelly Korda, Hyo Joo Kim, Charley Hull, Lydia Ko, Jeeno Thitikul, and more.