Yoon Ina Equals Championship Record to Lead Women's PGA as Nelly Korda Chases

Posted : 26 June 2026

Yoon Ina produced a sensational opening round to seize the lead at the Women's PGA Championship, matching the tournament's lowest-ever first-round score with a nine-under-par 63 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota.

The South Korean golfer carded nine birdies in a flawless display, finishing two strokes clear of Australia's Karis Davidson after the opening day of the season's third major. Yoon's impressive round included more than 130 feet of successful putts, leaving her delighted with a performance she described as effortless and memorable.

Yoon said everything seemed to fall into place throughout the day, explaining that she remained focused on executing each shot rather than thinking about her score. That approach paid off as she equalled the championship's opening-round record and established herself as the player to beat heading into the second round.

Davidson also enjoyed an outstanding day, posting a seven-under-par 65 in pursuit of what would be her maiden LPGA Tour title. The Australian recorded eight birdies and finished two shots ahead of a group tied for third that included American Alexa Pano and South Korea's Kim A-lim.

World No. 1 Nelly Korda, who is chasing an extraordinary third consecutive major victory after triumphs at the Chevron Championship and the U.S. Women's Open, made a promising start before one costly mistake left her with significant ground to recover.

Korda had reached four under par through her opening 15 holes after collecting five birdies, but her challenge suffered a setback at the par-four 16th. A tee shot into the water resulted in a double bogey, dropping the American back to two under and leaving her seven strokes behind the leader.

The defending star admitted the mistake came from an indecisive club selection and an overly aggressive swing. She explained that the hole presents a difficult strategic choice between laying back safely or taking on the risk to gain a better angle into the green. Despite the setback, Korda remained positive about her overall performance.

The American also drew confidence from her recent U.S. Women's Open victory, where she recovered from a similarly difficult opening round to claim the title. She said she was pleased with her game and believes there is still plenty of golf left to play over the remaining three rounds.

Yoon's remarkable performance continued an impressive resurgence in just her second season on the LPGA Tour. The South Korean returned to top-level golf after serving a suspension on the Korean LPGA Tour following an incident at the 2022 Korea Women's Open involving the use of the wrong ball and a failure to report the error.

Starting her round on the 10th hole, Yoon collected four birdies before making the turn and continued her exceptional form with a string of birdies on the back nine. Among the highlights were a 24-foot birdie putt on the seventh hole, complemented by shorter conversions on the sixth and eighth to cap a near-perfect day.

Davidson was equally impressive with the putter. She opened with an 18-foot birdie and maintained her momentum throughout the round, bouncing back from her only bogey with a spectacular 35-foot birdie before closing with another gain at the ninth. The Australian described the performance as close to perfect, saying she felt capable of holing almost every putt she faced.

Yoon Ina Equals Championship Record to Lead Women's PGA as Nelly Korda Chases

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