Nelly Korda Eyes Victory, Leads LPGA Phoenix at 16-Under
PHOENIX — Nelly Korda is hitting her stride early in the 2026 season, seizing a two-shot lead at the LPGA event in Phoenix as the tournament heads into a critical weekend. With a performance characterized by precision and resilience, Korda reached 16-under 128 through two rounds, maintaining her place at the top of the leaderboard on the Whirlwind Golf Club course.
Korda’s position comes on the heels of a runner-up finish to Hyo Joo Kim at last week’s Founders Cup in Northern California. Korda, a 16-time LPGA Tour winner and the 2024 champion of this event, appears intent on reclaiming the top spot. Korda currently holds a two-shot lead at 16-under 128, setting up a high-stakes duel as she enters her fourth consecutive round playing in the same group as Kim.
Despite a few missed opportunities late in her round, Korda remains upbeat about her current form.
“I have left a couple shots out there at the end. But I’m playing really solid golf, and when I do make a mistake, I try not to let it faze me too much.”
— Nelly Korda, Professional Golfer
The rivalry between the two has become a focal point of the tournament. Kim, the defending champion in Phoenix, entered the weekend just two shots back despite a challenging 69 in her second round. Reflecting on their recurring pairing, Korda noted,
“Just getting sick of each other now. Yeah, she’s playing such solid golf. At the end of the day, that’s something that motivates me to want to stay with her at that level.”
— Nelly Korda, Professional Golfer
Strong course conditions have resulted in an exceptionally low cut line of 5-under 135 as players capitalized on smooth morning greens. However, the afternoon field faced stiffer challenges as surfaces firmed up. Lydia Ko, who thrilled onlookers with a blistering 60 in Thursday’s opening round, found the going tougher on Friday, settling for a 71. She remains firmly in the mix, tied for third at three shots off the lead, alongside Jenny Bae and Minami Katsu.
“It’s obviously harder to get closer to the pins just playing in the afternoon and the greens being a little firmer. I think I struggled with a couple of the short ones. … But that’s golf, right?”
— Lydia Ko, Professional Golfer
The intensity of the competition was reflected in the high-profile names who bowed out early; Women’s British Open champion Miyu Yamashita and veteran Lexi Thompson both failed to make the cut in their respective attempts to find momentum this season. Meanwhile, 17-year-old amateur standout Asterisk Talley continued to impress, carding a 65 to sit at 10-under, just six shots off the lead. Talley now looks forward to competing in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur next week.
As the field thins for the final two rounds, all eyes remain on the battle between Korda and Kim. With the Phoenix title on the line, the top of the leaderboard promises a compelling sprint to the finish.
