Nelly Korda returned to the top of the world rankings with a commanding five-shot victory at the LPGA Chevron Championship on Sunday.
The American, who also won the event in 2021, carded a final-round 70 to finish at 18 under par, five shots clear of Thailand's Patty Tavatanakit and China's Yin Ruoning. The win, her second major title, allows her to leapfrog Jeeno Thitikul in the rankings after the Thai missed the cut.
"That was a hard weekend," Korda told NBC Sports. "Honestly, having that big of a lead, it's not easy. It was definitely one of the hardest things I've had to do mentally."
Korda started strong with two birdies in the first three holes but two bogeys on the back nine prevented her from breaking the tournament's 72-hole scoring record of 20 under par. Still, her consistency—rounds of 65, 65, 70, and 70—proved too much for the field at Houston's Memorial Park.
"I have an amazing support system," she added. "An amazing family who are right behind me. An amazing caddie who is on the bag, and I'm just happy to get it done."
Tavatanakit, who began the final day five shots behind, could not close the gap, also shooting a 70. Korda now has three major titles, adding the Chevron to her 2021 Women's PGA Championship victory.