Photo Credit: Golfweek
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Ina Yoon delivered a spectacular opening round Thursday at the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship. She tied the tournament record with a remarkable 9-under 63 at Hazeltine National Golf Club in Chaska, Minnesota. Her flawless performance featured nine birdies and no bogeys. As a result, she grabbed a commanding seven-shot lead after the opening round.
Yoon entered the week ranked 39th in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings. However, she looked every bit like a major champion on Thursday. She opened her round on the 10th hole and quickly found a rhythm. She reached 4-under through her first nine holes before finishing with birdies on five of her final seven holes.
Her birdies came on the third, fourth, sixth, seventh, eighth, 14th, 15th, 17th, and 18th holes. Afterward, Yoon admitted she did not realize how many birdies she had made. She also praised the beautiful weather and the enthusiastic galleries that followed the action throughout the day.
Meanwhile, world No. 1 Nelly Korda remained firmly in contention despite one costly mistake. Korda finished with a 2-under 70 and sat seven shots behind Yoon after the morning wave concluded. Although the gap appears large, Korda still has three rounds remaining to mount a comeback.
Korda looked poised for an outstanding opening round. She made the turn at 1-under before adding birdies on the 11th, 13th, and 15th holes. At that point, she reached 4-under par and positioned herself near the top of the leaderboard.
However, the challenging par-4 16th quickly changed her momentum. Korda pulled her driver left into the creek bordering the fairway. She immediately knew the shot missed its target after impact. Following a penalty drop, she hit her approach onto the green before three-putting from approximately 35 feet. Consequently, she recorded a costly double bogey.
After the round, Korda explained that she simply made one poor swing. She felt caught between clubs and swung too aggressively into a difficult wind. The intimidating tee shot offered little room for error, especially with water protecting both sides of the landing area.
Despite the setback, Korda expressed satisfaction with her overall performance. She emphasized that only one swing prevented an even stronger opening round. Her steady play throughout the remainder of the day kept her hopes alive.
The 16th hole once again proved why it remains one of Hazeltine’s signature challenges. The short par 4 demands precision from the tee. Players must decide between laying back safely or attacking with a driver. Trees, water hazards, and an undulating green create constant pressure throughout the hole.
Korda elected to hit driver because laying too far back creates a difficult approach shot. Unfortunately, her aggressive strategy produced the tournament’s only double bogey on her scorecard.
History presents another challenge for Korda entering Friday. Each of the previous ten KPMG Women’s PGA Championship winners finished the opening round either leading or within four strokes of first place. Korda currently trails by seven shots.
Even so, history also offers a small measure of hope. Only two players have overcome deficits of seven strokes or more after the opening round to win this championship. Korda now attempts to become the third.
Additionally, the stakes remain extremely high this week. Korda seeks her third consecutive major championship this season. A victory would make her only the third player in LPGA history to capture the season’s first three majors. It also would secure her place in the LPGA Hall of Fame at only 27 years old.
Another encouraging story developed during Thursday’s opening round. Local golfer and friend of the Walker Report podcast, Nicole Felce, battled through a solid first round with a 3-over 75. Most importantly, she finished her day with a birdie on the final hole to build momentum entering Friday.
Felce remains in position to reach the weekend. If she shoots even-par during her second round, she should make the cut and continue competing over the final two rounds. Her strong finish provided an important confidence boost heading into a critical Friday.
Brooke Henderson also enjoyed a positive opening day. She produced several impressive shots while putting together a strong first-round performance. Her steady play kept her in the mix as the championship headed into the second round.
Friday now shapes up as a pivotal day at Hazeltine. Yoon will attempt to protect her sizable advantage. Meanwhile, Korda hopes to erase the seven-shot deficit with another consistent round. At the same time, Felce looks to capitalize on her late birdie and secure a weekend tee time with an even-par performance.
With three rounds still remaining, the championship remains far from decided. Nevertheless, Yoon owns the early momentum after one of the finest opening rounds in tournament history.
Author Profile
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Bradley Walker serves as the Director of Operations for NGSC Sports, bringing extensive experience across collegiate, professional, and amateur athletics. His coverage spans USF Athletics, including football, baseball, lacrosse, and softball, as well as University of Tampa baseball.
Bradley also provides coverage of minor league baseball with the Clearwater Threshers and Major League Baseball with the Tampa Bay Rays. On the national stage, he covers college football bowl games and conference championship matchups, along with premier golf events across the PGA Tour, LIV Golf, and LPGA Tour.
In addition to his reporting work, Bradley is the play-by-play announcer for Pinellas Park High School Patriots football, lending his voice and insight to Friday night lights.
He is also an active podcast host and contributor, serving as a co-host on the P&W Sports Report and hosting The Walker Report, where he delivers in-depth sports analysis, interviews, and coverage across multiple levels of competition.
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