There was a time on Saturday when Hyo Joo Kim led by eight strokes at the Fortinet Founders Cup. By the 10th hole Sunday, Nelly Korda had tied it up at 17 under with eight holes to play.
It was a tense finish at the first full-field domestic stop this season, and the primetime showdown, held at the picturesque Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club, marked an important win for LPGA commissioner Craig Kessler, who revamped the event built to celebrate the history of the 75-year-old tour.
Advertisement
Players praised the new venue and Bay Area fans lined fairways as the world’s best vied for a $3 million purse. Korda called the crowds unbelievable.
Kim, who started the week with a 63 and held on with her impressive short game to win a second Founders Cup title, stayed cool under pressure, even as things appeared to unravel.
“I don’t think I was necessarily shaken up or my emotions were all over the place,” said Kim. “I was just trying to keep my focus on my shots and what I was doing.”
Hyo Joo Kim of Korea imitates a “selfie” as she poses with the trophy after her winning putt on the 18th green during the final round of the Fortinet Founders Cup 2026 at Sharon Heights Golf and Country Club on March 22, 2026 in Menlo Park, California.
For Korda, it marked her first start since the weather-shortened Hilton Grand Vacations Tournament of Champions, which she won, to snap a 14-month victory drought. Not long after Korda’s brother Sebastian scored a massive win over world No. 1 Carlos Alcaraz at the Miami Open on Sunday, Nelly went gunning for her second straight win, starting the day five back of Kim.
Advertisement
It was a back-and-forth final round, with No. 2-ranked Korda catching Kim, No. 8, early on the back nine and then sputtering a bit down the stretch, including a shocking three-putt on the 17th hole and only her second missed fairway of the day on the reachable par-5 18th.
“I felt great all day,” said Korda. “I just kind of made one stupid mistake and that was 17.”
Kim had her own bobbles, but a magnificent chip shot from behind the green on the 17th gave her the momentum heading home.
A closing 73, even with a bogey on the 18th, proved enough for Kim to win wire-to-wire with a 16-under total. Even when her own game wasn’t as sharp in the final round, Kim enjoyed the view.
Advertisement
“I actually really like Nelly’s swings out of all the LPGA players,” said Kim. “Instead of even watching a video, I was able to see it real life today, and I think I was just able to learn a lot today.”
The tour heads next to Arizona for the Ford Championship, where Kim is the defending champion. She now has eight career victories, and as Grant Boone noted on the telecast, has won in her teens, 20s and 30s.
This article originally appeared on Golfweek: LPGA: Hyo Joo Kim holds off Nelly Korda to win Fortinet Founders Cup
Read the full article here